


Made Like Towers

by Anonymous



Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: 90s, Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Sons of Anarchy, Canon Backstory, Emotional Manipulation, Eventual Smut, F/M, First Love, Flashbacks, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Masturbation, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Teenage Drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:34:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26058070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Audrey Hayes is standoffish, distant and cold - and yet, all Juice wants to do is figure her out. The closer they get, the more he realizes how vibrant her soul is, and just how similar she is to him. Your teenage years can be cruel, but nothing can ever compare to your first love. (High School AU, Juice/OC)***As of 09/29/20 this story is being rewritten. When it is completed, I will repost the first 5 chapters and then update daily***
Relationships: Donna Winston/Opie Winston, Juice Ortiz/Original Female Character(s), Tara Knowles/Jax Teller
Comments: 22
Kudos: 26





	1. Smells Like Teen Spirit

**Author's Note:**

> “Load up on guns, bring your friends. It’s fun to lose and to pretend. She’s over-bored and self-assured. Oh no, I know a dirty word. 
> 
> I’m worse at what I do best, and for this gift I feel blessed. Our little group has always been, and always will until the end.” - Nirvana, 1991
> 
> Audrey Hayes meets Juice Ortiz at the end of summer break. Neither of them has any idea what to think of the other.

Juice gulped. He took a deep breath in and out. Why was he so nervous? It was just a stupid job. A stupid job that he really needed to help his mother and his little sister stay afloat. Not to say that his mother couldn’t handle the basic expenses, her new job meant that they were past welfare and food stamps. But if he could pay for his own things, it’d take a large burden off her. Okay, so maybe that’s why he was nervous. But there were other jobs if he didn’t get this one. That’s when he realized that he was just standing there, staring off into space directly in front of the office door. He shook himself out and knocked once on the door. No response. He knocked again.

“I heard you the first time, hang on a minute!” A woman’s voice called out. She didn’t sound friendly. He hadn’t been expecting a woman, this was a garage after all. Especially not the one that stood before him once the door had swung open. His first thought was that she was a total _milf_. His second thought was that he was terrified of her. She looked to be in her late thirties, maybe early forties. She wore tight leather pants with a studded belt, a low rise and fitted black t-shirt and combat boots. Her face softened as she looked down at him.

“Hey, sweetheart. You my four o’clock interview?” she asked.

“Juan Ortiz, that’s me.”

She stepped to the side and gestured for him to sit down. “You’re early,” she said, almost as if this were a rare occurrence.

Juice quirked an eyebrow and took a seat on the couch across from her desk. He’d assumed that you were always supposed to show up early for a job interview. The woman made her way back to her desk and shuffled through a stack of paperwork. She hadn’t been prepared at all. Eventually she found what she’d been looking for, a blue folder with the words _Teller-Morrow Automotive_ sprawled across the front.

“Alright,” she said as she adjusted her reading glasses. “You applied for the part-time mechanic gig. Twenty hours a week at thirteen an hour. And you’re-”

“Seventeen,” he said. She shot him a sharp glance, and he immediately regretted finishing her sentence.

She waved her hand and moved right on past it. “You’ve got a reference here from an auto shop in Queens. Pretty far from home, don’t you think?”

“My mom got a job offer that she couldn’t pass up.” He’d been honest, that _was_ the truth. Half of it, at least.

“Ah, so you’re the new kid in town. A little cliché.”

“Uh, I guess,” he replied as he awkwardly fumbled in his seat. He shoved his hands inside the pockets of his hoodie, and then, realizing how unprofessional he looked, straightened himself out.

The woman chuckled. A far cry from her earlier demeanor. “Name’s Gemma,” she said, “we don’t have too many rules around here. Just show up for your scheduled shifts, don’t screw around, and don’t ever, _ever_ , call me ma’am.”

“Yes ma-, _Gemma_.”

“Already getting the hang of it.”

He massaged the back of his neck. “So, does this mean I got the job?”

She gave him a _knowing_ look, one that he knew he’d see regularly. “You're my son’s age, seem nice enough to me. I don’t think you realize how adorable you are. The question is, can you fix cars or not? This application I’m reading over says that you can.”

“I can fix cars, and bikes too,” he answered promptly. “I’m also good with computers, if you think that’d come in handy,” now he was rambling.

The edges of Gemma’s mouth curved into a smile. She motioned for him to take the blue folder from her desk. Along with his general information, it contained new hire paperwork. “You’ll be starting your senior year in two weeks, right?” she spoke to him as he filled everything out.

“Yeah.”

Her forehead puckered. “Don’t seem too excited about it.”

Why would he be excited? No living, breathing person ever looks back fondly on their years in _high school_. Being the new kid, as Gemma had put it, didn’t make his predicament any better. In Queens, it was easy. He’d had his clique of no-good troublemakers that he grew up with. Sure, they might’ve spent more time in detention than actual class, but at least he’d never felt like an outcast. California was an entirely different speed than New York. People would walk up and _talk_ to you. Pretend like they gave a damn about your day. It felt fake to him, like a used car salesman’s smile.

People might’ve acted like total assholes in New York, but at least it was real. Juice wasn’t stupid. He knew the majority of Charming High’s student body were spoiled rich kids that wouldn’t give the time of day to some lower-income kid from Queens with no father. And yet, he’d promised his mom that he would try. Be a good example for Gracie.

“It’s just really different out here, you know?”

“No shit, you’re on the other side of the country.”

Juice grinned at her. He appreciated her bluntness, it felt like home. He had a good feeling about Teller-Morrow, and he hadn’t had many of those these days. “You said that your son was my age?” he asked as he turned in the paperwork.

She lifted her chin at the mention of her son, and he could tell from the sparkle in her eyes that he was her pride and joy. “Yeah, that’s why I assumed that you’d be starting school. Should go outside and introduce yourself to the group. Real nice kids, think you’ll get along fine.”

He nodded. Shrugged his shoulders. “It’s Juice, by the way,” he said.

Gemma’s brows drew together, her expression perplexed. “What?”

“My name. I mean, that’s what everyone back home called me.”

“Where’d the hell they get _that_ from?”

“It’s a... long story.”

“I bet it is” -she slapped her palm against the desk- “I think we’re done here. Stop by tomorrow for your schedule.”

“Thanks” -he bit his tongue, fighting off the urge to say _ma’am_ \- “I’ll do that.”

He stood up and debated whether he should shake her hand, and ultimately chose not to. She didn’t strike him as the type of person who’d value the gesture. He’d have to earn her respect through sustained loyalty and service.

He left the office and headed back outside. It didn’t take long for him to spot five kids huddled inside the garage. Two boys had grease smeared all over their white t-shirts and wide grins on their faces. They had a Thunderbird propped up on a hydraulic jack but appeared to be goofing off instead of working on the car. One was blonde and about Juice’s height and build, _maybe_ an inch or two taller. The other one was lankier and towered over him.

The other three were girls. Two of them looked as though they could be sisters with their long, brunette locks. One girl’s facial feature was sharp and sculpted, like Michelangelo had chiseled her out himself. The other girl had softer features, with delicate ears and a button nose.

And the third girl – he didn’t have time to brush his eyes past her as the blonde kid called out to him. “Hey” -he pointed to a medium-sized Dyna super glide- “Is that your bike?” 

“It is,” Juice replied.

“Sweet ride man, what year is it?”

“Ninety-two.”

He threw a sweat rag over his shoulder and sauntered over to Juice. “You the kid that my mom interviewed?”

So, _he_ was Gemma’s son.

“Stopping by tomorrow to pick up my schedule,” Juice answered, all smiles.

The kid intensely studied Juice for a moment, like he was trying to get a read on him. Juice worried that he might’ve come across as being too cocky until the kid loomed closer and extended a hand.

“I’m Jax,” he said. They were nearly at the bench now, and the rest of the group had followed in hot pursuit to examine the new guy.

“Juice.”

Jax nodded and maneuvered his stare towards the Thunderbird, “maybe you can help Ope and I out with this dinosaur,” he said.

“What’s wrong with it?”

With a roll of his eyes, “transmission needs to be rebuilt; owner goes hard on it, he loves that damn car.”

“I can take a look at it tomorrow, can’t promise any miracles though,” Juice said.

The kids took a seat at the bench and one by one, they began to introduce themselves. The lanky guy was Opie. Apparently, he’d had quite the growth-spurt this summer. Everyone agreed that he wasn’t done yet, given the size of his father. The cute, sculpted girl was Tara, and it didn’t take long for Juice to realize that she and Jax were an item. The other girl with the button nose was Donna, and once again, it appeared that she and Opie were joined at the hip.

“You know I’ve got to ask about your accent,” Opie said.

Juice sat down and squared an ankle over one knee. “Queens,” he replied.

Jax cocked his head. “New York? That’s cool.”

“You happy about the move?” Tara asked.

Juice’s brows knitted as he thought over his response. _Was_ he happy? “I hope to be,” he answered honestly.

Tara gave him a toothy smile and nodded her head in understanding.

There was only one girl left, and she’d been relatively quiet throughout the entire exchange. Jax reached behind Tara to poke the shoulder of the aloof girl sitting beside them. “Introduce yourself to Juice,” he pestered.

She jerked her shoulder back and made eye contact with Juice. “Audrey,” was all she said. 

He got a better look at her. She was pretty. Not drop-dead _gorgeous_. A step above girl-next-door average. Her wavy light brown hair gave way to blonde as it tumbled over her shoulders. He thought that maybe she had blue eyes that reflected gray in the sun. She had on ripped, baggy boyfriend jeans and a short sleeve black top that halted directly above her bellybutton. She hungrily puffed on a cigarette with one hand while the other twirled fingers through her hair.

Audrey. Like Audrey Hepburn. His mom loved her movies. He’d never admit it to a single soul, but he’d enjoyed _Breakfast at Tiffany’s._ Paul and Holly claimed that they were _just friends_. It didn’t take long for him to realize that she’d been putting on an act for the world to see, but underneath, the girl had heart...

His thoughts were drifting.

“I like your sneakers,” he said, pointing to Audrey’s checkered vans.

“Thanks,” she replied, dryly.

He could tell that she was anxious. While Jax and Tara were practically making out on the bench next to her, her eyes continuously drifted towards the clock that hung above the entrance to the clubhouse. As the minutes dwindled closer to five, her foot began to tap sporadically against the pavement.

When a black Mustang convertible (it was a cobra; the most expensive model, he noted) pulled up at the corner and honked its horn, a few of his questions were answered. Audrey nearly flinched at the sound and cautiously collected her things. Something seemed to have struck her in that moment. She sifted through her purse and pulled out a piece of gum. After that she sprayed herself with a body mist. She obviously didn’t want whoever was picking her up to know that she’d been smoking.

Her friends immediately narrowed their eyes at the car, like there was an unspoken understanding between them. “I can take you home in the cutlass,” Tara offered.

“I second that,” Donna said.

Audrey shook her head. “It’s okay, he’s already here. Thanks anyway,” she said her goodbyes to Jax and Opie, who both mumbled something under their breath that sounded like _see you later._ She cut her eyes to Juice. Looked him up and down. And then hurried off.

She did have pale blue eyes littered with specks of gray. Because of course she did, why wouldn’t she?

“She needs to kick that punk to the curb,” Tara said.

“You see her just now; she was totally bugging out,” Donna said.

“Why do we let this shit fly? Addie’s our friend, we should step in,” Opie suggested.

Donna said, with an uneasy shrug, “We can’t tell her who she can and can’t date.”

Jax spat through gritted teeth, “I’m sure as hell about to.”

Juice didn’t know what to think. Was Audrey aware that her friends talked shit about her supposed douchebag of a boyfriend the moment she was out of earshot? Probably. “She seems nice,” he commented. He wasn’t entirely sure if he believed it.

Jax snorted. “You don’t know her that well.”

Gemma appeared from the office like she’d been summoned. “Please don’t tell me that honking came from that son-of-a-bitch Justin’s car,” she called out as she approached them.

Wow. This dude was _unpopular_ at TM.

“Course it did. He’d never step one foot on this lot, because he knows he’d get his shit rocked,” Tara said as she playfully swatted at Jax’s stomach.

“Watch your mouth, young lady,” Gemma warned her. Tara pouted until the older woman’s lips twisted into a wry smile, and then they both laughed.

Gemma’s expression then became stoic, “next time Addie comes by, send her my way,” she said.

“Sure thing, mom,” Jax replied.

Gemma threw a wave of acknowledgement towards Juice before she turned around and walked back to the office.

Donna pulled a hair tie out of her pocket and stuck it in her mouth as she raked her fingers through her tresses, and when she’d pulled enough of it back she fastened it up into a tight ponytail. “I should probably head out to, my parents have been bitching all week that I’m staying out too late,” she said.

Opie let out an exaggerated groan and pulled her closer to him. She giggled as he left soft kisses on her forehead and nose before he leaned down and pecked her lips.

“Won’t you two just get a room already?” Tara teased.

Jax brought a hand down to cup her thigh and husked into her ear, “not a bad idea.”

Tara lightly elbowed Jax and he made an over-dramatic show of falling onto his side and wincing in pain. “Hands off, Teller,” she said in-between laughs.

Jax glanced over at Juice, “we’re not always like this, I swear,” he said.

“Yes, they are,” Opie said.

Tara tilted her head towards Donna, “will _you_ accept a ride home from me?” she asked, throwing the daintiest bit of shade towards Audrey’s earlier refusal.

“Yeah,” Donna replied, “don’t think my folks will be too pleased to hear Ope’s bike drop me off for the third time this week.”

Opie frowned, “I thought they were cool with us?”

Donna gave a slight bob of her head, “they are, they’re just…overprotective sometimes, you know?”

“I get it,” he relented. He placed his hands on either side of her face and gave her a real kiss. Donna hopped off the bench and eyed up Tara, who was attempting to wrestle herself out of Jax’s arms.

Jax brushed his lips against her cheek and let her go. The moment he did, Tara turned right back around and pulled him into a tight hug. They stayed like that for a moment, and she whispered something into his ear. He gripped onto her hand, and as she took a few steps backwards, he extended his arm out to prolong the hold until his fingers inevitably slipped out of hers.

Tara winked and blew him a kiss as Donna waved goodbye, and then the two girls waltzed over to the Cutlass and sped off.

Opie sighed, “Back to the Thunderbird?” he asked.

Jax’s face was a deep shade of crimson, whatever Tara had whispered into his ear had flustered him. “I don’t think I’ve got it in me, man.”

Juice drummed his fingertips against the wooden table. “You guys want to check out the super glide?”

* * *

Juice had picked up a thing or two after Tara and Donna left, and he’d spent a good amount of time showing Jax and Opie the specs on his bike. He’d been correct in his assumption that Charming High was filled with pretentious jerks. However, he hadn’t accounted for SAMCRO, the local biker gang (which he’d soon discover was a _club_ ) that dished out their own versions of vigilante justice. Because of that, nobody messed with them.

And if he were to align himself with them, he’d have an identity. He hadn’t said that aloud.

The only piece of the puzzle that didn’t fit was Audrey Hayes, as they’d told him her last name was. They called her Addie for short. She’d known Jax and the crew since preschool, and they’d all grown up together. She dressed like Tara and Donna, with a grunge-style that consisted of ripped jeans, sneakers, oversized jackets and plaid _everything_. She looked like she could kick the shit out of those preppy girls, cigarette in one hand, with their mini-skirts and button-up shirts. So why the hell was she dating Justin, who lived in a big fancy mansion on the other side of town, and drove a flashy, expensive car?

Wasn’t that breaking the rules? Why did he care so much? No, scratch that, he didn’t care. She’d barely spoken to him, and like he’d thought earlier, she was only a step above average. Well, maybe a little more than that. She was cute, even cuter if she’d pay attention to him.

He decided that he was over-analyzing the situation.

He parked his bike in the lot of their apartment complex next to his mother’s silver 1989 Honda Civic. She worked nine to five as a paralegal at a law firm in Stockton, about a forty-five-minute drive away, give or take. She’d chosen Charming because the rent prices for three-bedrooms were half-decent. The crime rate was low as well, much lower than Queens. It’d be a lot harder for Juice to get into trouble. Yeah, _right_.

He’d barely made it to the kitchen counter when Gracie tackled him. She wrapped her little arms around his waist and squeezed as best she could. “Juicy, you’re home! You get the job?”

“I did,” he said as he peeled her arms away.

She crinkled her nose. “Wait, really? They hired _you_?”

“Don’t everyone get excited all at once,” he mumbled.

Gracie flailed her arms. “But if you’re gone all the time, who will take care of my Tamagotchi?” she asked. 

He pressed his lips together. “Gracie, we’ve had this conversation a thousand times. _You_ need to feed your Tamagotchi. You neglect it, and then you make a fuss every time that it dies.”

“But you take care of it better,” she whined.

“This is why mom always says no when you beg her to get a puppy,” he said.

She defiantly crossed her arms over her chest. “You think if I get straight A’s all through the fourth grade, she’ll buy me a puppy?”

“Not if you keep murdering your Tamagotchi!”

“Hey, I didn’t hear you come in,” his mother called out.

His eyes widened when he checked the kitchen clock and realized that it was past ten. He’d spent hours at the clubhouse with Jax and Opie and had lost track of time. He ambled into the living room where Maria Ortiz sat perched on the couch.

“There’s leftovers from dinner in the fridge,” she said nonchalantly while she sipped on a cup of joe. His mother was a big coffee drinker. She could go through an entire pot an hour before bed and still sleep like a baby.

“I’m sorry,” he started, “the interview at the garage went great, and I was hanging out with these kids that work there and- “

“It’s okay, Gemma called to let me know you were alright.”

“Oh?” he said. He’d put his home telephone number on the job application. And Gemma was a mother herself, so it made sense.

“We chatted for a little bit, she’s very… _welcoming_.”

“Yeah, she is,” he replied and slumped down onto the couch.

Maria edged closer to her son. “I’m proud that you’re taking initiative. I know this hasn’t been easy for you. I just don’t want you to overwork yourself, Juan.”

He gave her a lackluster smile. It was the least he could do. He didn’t have plans to go to college, and his computer skills would only get him so far. The older he got, the more he felt like he needed to step up. It’d been ten years since his father left, right after Gracie was born. His fists clenched at just the thought of _Michael Cole_. Two days after Christmas. Not a single word since. A part of him was glad that they were gone, and that his father would never know where they’d _gone to_.

“I’m more than happy for the work, keeps me out of trouble,” he said with a sly arch of his brow.

“Well, there is that” she replied with a cheeky grin.

“I think we’re going to be okay, mom.”

“I want you to know that I don’t blame you for your behavior in New York. I worked too much; your father was gone…I get it.”

“I feel like there’s a _but_ coming up next.”

“Smart-ass,” she said through a chuckle. “How about no detentions, and no _suspensions_ , for your entire senior year?”

“Can’t get detention, otherwise I’ll lose my job.”

“Ooh, I’m liking this newfound motivation!”

“It’d be a waste of time to move to the other side of the country and still be the same person, right?”

“Can you install that idea into your sister like one of your computer programs?”

“I can try, but I think there’s a virus blocking me from getting into her brain,” he joked.

They went back and forth like that for a while longer until he excused himself from the conversation to heat up the leftovers and take a shower. He was exhausted, too tired to stay up half the night reading comic books or playing Pokémon on his Game-boy. If he were still in Queens, he’d probably be lighting up a joint with a group of friends right about now.

He got into bed and closed his eyes; however, he was unable to fall asleep. His mind wandered back to Audrey. The way that her body tensed up when she’d heard the car’s honk unsettled him. It was none of his business, it was just that he’d known plenty of girls in New York that had boyfriends, and yet he’d never seen a reaction quite like that. Doubtful, afraid even. It was the same exact look that he’d seen on his mother’s face ten years ago.

He tried not to dwell on it. So, naturally, he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***As of 09/29/20 this story is being rewritten. When it is completed, I will repost the first 5 chapters and then update daily***


	2. Semi-Charmed Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I want something else to get me through this semi-charmed kind of life. I want something else; I’m not listening when you say goodbye.” – Third Eye Blind, 1997 
> 
> We are going back in time a little bit; it begins when Audrey leaves the group and gets into Justin’s car.
> 
> ***As of 09/29/20 this story is being rewritten. When it is completed, I will repost the first 5 chapters and then update daily***

Audrey’s laugh died in her throat, and the only word she could make out was “thanks.” She considered saying more, but her friends were already chatting Juice up enough. She could tell that he was sweet, the kind of boy that she would love to chew up and spit out. Sink her teeth into just for the hell of it.

He was cute. Warm skin, brown eyes, and short hair. Muscular. Not very tall, but still taller than her. She did not have to get any closer to know that his palms were sweaty. He had a thick New York accent. He did not talk, he _tawlked._

She would have liked to hear him _tawlk_ some more, but she knew that Justin was scheduled to pick her up at five. And that made her nervous. Not nervous in the ‘ _I need to be saved’_ kind of way; she could handle her boyfriend’s moods.

Her foot unconsciously tapped against the pavement. Slow at first, and then it picked up speed.

Nervous in the ‘ _first he will smell smoke, and then he will start a fire’_ kind of way. And she was not in the headspace to argue with him about her friends or her lifestyle choices. So, her eyes intensely watched the clock. She had time. She could finish her cigarette in peace, and then cover up the smell...

Damn nicotine addiction. They never mentioned that in the sixty's commercials.

Justin’s Mustang pulled up at the corner and honked. He always did that, and it drove Gemma crazy. She had told Audrey that any guy who knew about chivalry would get out of the car and _walk_ up to you.

He was early. Now she was panicked and had to swallow a piece of gum and spray herself in a tizzy and everyone was looking at her. Tara offered to give her a ride home, and as much as she wanted to scream _yes_ , Audrey declined. She did not need to deal with that drama.

She threw a goodbye towards Jax and Opie. Gave a little nod to Donna. Her eyes fixated on Juice and she paused. If he were working at TM now, she would see him again.

Audrey minced her way over to Justin’s car, opened the passenger side door and sat down. He looked at her like she had said something to offend his mother. “I hope that _stench_ is second-hand,” he greeted her. She had gotten flustered for nothing. He knew.

“Yeah,” she replied, chewing feverishly on her gum.

Justin had an expressive face, and his eyes often told stories that his lips did not want you to know. His gaze dipped to her décolletage, and then lower. His brows bumped together in a scowl. “The hell are you wearing?” he asked.

Audrey acted oblivious. She peered down at her outfit and then perked her head back up. “I think it’s a crop top and a pair of jeans,” she replied. Risky.

“You get style advice from the biker whores that hang around this dirty place?”

Audrey did not respond to that, because it was the _biker whores'_ fault that she smoked cigarettes and wore revealing clothing. She could not even _own_ her bad decisions. She fastened her seat belt and looked straight ahead.

Justin sighed. He leaned over and kissed her neck. “I’m sorry, that was out of line. I just get jealous, you know. You’ve got such a nice body, and I’d hate for someone else to look at my girl,” he said.

She closed her eyes. “There’s nicer ways to communicate how you feel,” she breathed out.

His scalding remark about her wardrobe choice dissolved instantly as he tenderly brushed his lips against hers. He brought a hand up to softly guide her face closer to his. If he thought she tasted like tobacco, he did not mention it.

Audrey entertained it for a moment, and then broke away from the kiss. She curled her lips in icy disdain. Justin nestled himself into the driver’s seat and tapped on the steering wheel.

“Where to?” she asked.

“I wanted to bring you to my place to have dinner with my parents, but-”

“I’m not dressed appropriately,” she cut him off.

He said with a cocky wink and a confident smile, “I thought a lakeside picnic would be more romantic. We can do dinner at my house another time.”

That had thrown her for a loop. “Wait, you-”

“I’ve got everything we need in the trunk. Blanket, food, _drinks_.”

“I like that idea,” Audrey said.

“I knew you would. I even bought that CD you like, to set the mood,” Justin replied.

The mood, meaning, ‘ _I did all these wonderful things for you so please have sex with me,’_ and she glanced out the window as her eyes rolled skyward.

* * *

They walked down to the water’s edge, hand in hand. Audrey dipped her feet into the lake while Justin spread out the picnic blanket. She had to admit that it was a spectacular set-up. It was her favorite time of day: dusk. The California landscape was luminous, so beautiful that it almost looked artificial. Within the next half hour, the sky would turn a brilliant red orange. Justin milked it, with candles and _Pinot Blanc_ that he had raided from his parent’s alcohol cabinet.

The whole thing was so damn _perfect_ until he opened his mouth.

“The new mall opened up in Stockton. I hear there’s plenty of stores hiring,” he began.

Audrey knew what this was about. She worked part-time at Teller-Morrow throughout the summer, Jax had gotten her the job. It was simple stuff: answering the phone when Gemma was not around, scheduling appointments, and straightening up the clubhouse. It kept her away from home, _her parents_ , which she preferred. Justin despised it, of course.

“I already have a job,” she replied.

Justin frowned. “Yeah, but do you really feel comfortable working there with all those men?”

“They’re bikers, not kiddie chasers. Like you said before, there are plenty of sluts around. They’re not interested in a seventeen-year-old,” she gritted her teeth through the word _slut_ , but she’d used it to make a point.

“They’re _criminals_ , that’s what they are.”

“They keep a lot of riff-raff out of Charming, their presence makes the town safer.”

“That’s what the police department is for Addie!”

Audrey chuckled to herself. Unser, the chief of police, spent _a lot_ of time at the clubhouse. Charming P.D. and the Sons were a lot tighter than Justin realized.

“I get where you’re coming from, but I do not mingle with the club guys. A word or two in passing, that is it. I am there for my friends, and sometimes I feel more comfortable talking to Gemma than my own mother. Which is a little sad, but it is the truth,” she said.

“I’ll never understand why you choose to associate yourself with those people,” he spat with a gimlet-eyed stare.

Frustration crinkled her eyes, “I’ve known _those people_ for my entire life. Justin, you know I love you, but I’m not going to drop all my friends for you.”

He smirked. “No, you’re not. That free spirit is one of the things I like so much about you. How about you just give the Stockton mall a chance? Bring Tara with you, make an entire day out of it.”

“Fine,” she grumbled. Audrey enjoyed her job at TM, and the thought of working retail made her want to vomit. But if it would shut him up...

The conversation did not get any better. Justin accused her of looking at Jax and Opie with bedroom eyes, which she most certainly had not. Then he had the nerve to say that Tara was too cute to be dating Jax. What girl wants to hear her boyfriend call her best friend cute? Audrey was being “over dramatic” when she called him out on it. Awkward silence followed, and he apologized for the second time that evening.

Typical Justin.

A gust of wind blew out the candles, leaving them as dimly lit as her resolve. He mashed his lips against hers, as if trying to flatten and destroy her mouth. His tongue pushed past her clenched teeth as his jagged fingernails raked her skin. His hands traveled upwards to grip her head firmly, as if to keep her from escaping.

Justin was one of those guys that you could just _tell_ watched too many porn VHS tapes. To the point where he thought sex was supposed to be like _that_.

He wrapped his muscular arm around her neck and forced her down onto the blanket with a menacing air. She gasped in surprise and used her forearms to slide her body away from him, “what the fuck!” Audrey cried out.

The worst part was that he was genuinely shocked at her reaction. “Hell’s your problem? Figured you wanted it rough, dressing like that.”

“Why the fuck would I like that? I couldn’t breathe for a second there!”

“Keep your voice down,” he rasped.

Her body stiffened at his remark. “I want to go home,” she said just above a whisper.

His arm curled around her waist, tugging her closer to him. “To the parents that you constantly bitch about?”

“Yes. _Now_.”

Justin sat up on his knees and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked down at her. “Okay. Go wait in the car while I pack this shit up,” he said.

Audrey stood up and dusted herself off. She did not say another word to him and bee-lined for the Mustang.

If someone had passed by twenty minutes ago, they would have thought she was the luckiest girl in the world. They never would have guessed that this was the most disastrous date she had ever been on.

* * *

The drive home had been dangerously quiet. Justin pulled into Audrey’s driveway and shut the car off. They sat there in silence.

A switch flipped, and his chilling demeanor faded away. He had a familiar glint in his eyes. It reminded her of the boy she’d met in middle school, the one that held the door open and picked her flowers. That felt like a long time ago. She wanted to break up with him, but it was serene moments like these that made her hopeful. Maybe one day that boy would come back.

He mumbled something. She nodded. He apologized. She kissed him on the cheek and got out of the car.

Stepping into her home was like trading one hell for another, like her own personal version of _Dante’s Inferno._ If Justin was _Anger_ , her parents were in _Limbo_. Married and miserable.

In hindsight, maybe she shouldn’t have taken advanced literacy as an extracurricular last semester.

Her mother, Andrea, was washing dishes. In her youth, she’d had Audrey’s sandy blonde hair. The streaks of brown had gotten fainter as the years passed, lightening her tresses and giving her the occasional gray flyaway. She had premature wrinkles on her face. Some from smoking, others from stress.

For a split second, Audrey contemplated telling her mom the truth about her date.

“Justin stopped by earlier. Said he was taking you out, so we didn’t wait on you for dinner. He’s such a sweetheart,” Andrea said.

Nope. She kept her mouth shut.

“He sure is. Dad home?” Audrey asked.

Andrea huffed and slapped the dish rag against the counter. “Yes. He’s not _working late_ tonight.”

Her father had been putting in a lot of extra hours at the office. Audrey had her own theories about that, and by her mother’s reaction, Andrea did to. Then again, it could’ve resonated from the fact that her parents outright hated each other.

It was at that moment that Audrey’s dad, Craig, dawdled into the kitchen. He was a generic looking middle-aged-man with a slight beer gut. Which was fitting, given that he went straight for the refrigerator to retrieve a cold one. It wasn’t until he’d cracked open the bottle that he realized his daughter had come home.

He scratched his belly and yawned. “Hey honey, how was your evening?”

Ironically, Justin was the _one thing_ that Andrea and Craig agreed on. Because he was smart, and a football player, and going to college, and came from a ‘good family.’ Not troublesome like Jax Teller or Opie Winston. And right now, Audrey didn’t have the heart to tell them how she felt. She didn’t want to give them a new topic to argue about.

“Good,” Audrey answered with a lackluster smile.

Craig nodded at her. He dragged his feet as he headed for the living room.

Andrea’s lips pursed like she’d been chewing on a lemon rind. “Is there anything else you’d like to say to Audrey? Since you’re home for once, and not at _work_?”

He gave her a dismissive hand wave, “don’t do this right now.”

“I just assumed you’d be happier to see her, that’s all,” she said with a smile that did not reach her eyes.

“Well maybe if you put in more than fifteen hours a week, I’d have more time to spend with her,” he said with a humorless chuckle.

She clapped her hands on her hips, arms crooked like sugar bowl handles, “so that this house can go to shit? It’d be in shambles within a week, when’s the last time you picked up a broom?”

“Andrea, I said I didn’t want to do this right now.”

“You’re right. I’ll shut up while you drink your health away on that damn sofa and neglect your daughter,” her words jutted out like daggers. 

His eyes narrowed to crinkled slits, “says the woman who smokes two packs a day.”

Audrey maintained a deadpan expression. This heated exchange was about _her_ , and yet, it was like she was invisible. So much so that neither Andrea nor Craig noticed when she scurried off to her bedroom. Now alone, she plopped down onto her bed and let her thoughts run wild.

It was normal to fight sometimes, right? Her parents fought and they were still married. Justin smashed her science fair project last semester because she was not spending enough time with him. Then he had stayed up all night helping her build a new one. No biggie. 

Except her project had been rushed, and it only made third place. But it was not his fault, he had _improved_ it. Her original one would have not made the top three without his help.

Her mother and father’s bickering echoed through the walls, and even confined to her bedroom she could not escape it. She buried her face into her pillow and screamed until her vocal cords were inflamed.

* * *

Audrey woke up the next morning with dried tears on her cheeks. She got out of bed to brush her teeth and take a shower. Afterwards she hopped onto AIM. It was tradition that her and Tara messaged back and forth every night until one of them dozed off. Because she’d cried herself to sleep, she had a plethora of unread messages.

_Tara_loves_spicegirls@aol.com: Addie the baddie! Where are you?!?! We have things to discuss!!_

_Vyntage_Audrey@aol.com: Hey. Sorry. Long night._

_Tara_loves_spicegirls@aol.com: It’s all good. You coming to the clubhouse later? We’re showing the cute new guy around. ;)_

_Vyntage_Audrey@aol.com: Yeah. Its Craig’s day off, I can take the car._

_Tara_loves_spicegirls@aol.com: Uh-oh. You only call your dad ‘Craig’ when you’re pissed the fuck off._

_Vyntage_Audrey@aol.com: Like you said, things to discuss. I’ll see you later! xoxoxo_

She quickly got dressed and made the conscious decision to throw on a pair of shorts that were a little too _short_ for Justin’s liking, because fuck him. She had a new message from him as well and chose to ignore it.

It took a little bit of pleading until _Craig_ agreed to let Audrey drive his car, a bright red 1985 Chevrolet Impala. It was over ten years old and slightly dinged up, but the engine was strong. There were few things in life that she loved more than that car.

And with that, she was off to spend the day with her friends and leave yesterday’s disaster behind.

* * *

Opie took a long hit from the joint. He passed it to Donna, who hacked up her lungs at the tiniest puff.

“That is” – she coughed – “so not okay.” Opie patted her on the back, and she swiped his hand away. “I’m fine,” she said.

Jax carefully retrieved the joint from her. He laced it between two fingers and took a pull. He was extremely graceful about the whole thing, somehow he made smoking weed look like an ancient form of art. It went to Tara, and then to Audrey. She passed it to Juice, being careful not to touch his skin. This was the third spliff that they’d passed around, and she was completely stoned. Which was fine by her.

It was eight o’clock at night, and they were sitting outside TM. A sudden breeze caused Audrey to shiver. Juice’s hands instinctively went for his jacket, like he was going to offer it to her. She shook her head at him.

Jax picked up on this and motioned his head towards the clubhouse. “We can hang out inside. Just don’t blatantly walk up to my mother all fucked up,” he said with a cheesy grin.

Gemma was no idiot. She knew what they were doing. It was an out of sight, out of mind thing with her.

They ended up in Jax’s dorm room, listening to music and talking among themselves. Audrey sat with her back pressed against the wall with Tara and Donna opposite her. Juice approached them and cautiously looked down at Audrey.

“Mind if I join?” he asked.

“Sure,” she answered.

Tara and Donna exchanged glances as Juice settled down next to her.

“Hey,” Tara said to Donna, “did I ever get a chance to show you that thing?”

Donna arched a brow, “uh, what thing?”

Tara gave her a subtle wink, “you know, _the thing_.”

“Oh, you mean _that thing_?”

“Yeah!”

The two girls stood up. “I’ve got something I need to show Donna, why don’t you two get to know one another?” Tara said. She and Donna strolled over to Jax and Opie on the other side of the room, leaving Audrey and Juice alone.

Juice looked at Audrey, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d suspect that she doesn’t have anything to show her,” he said.

“Sorry about that, Tara gets weird when she’s- “

“Blizted,” he finished her sentence.

From the corner of her eye, Audrey noticed Jax leave the room. Tara and Donna were flipping through CDs while Opie ranted about something. Ope went on these long tangents whenever he was baked, and they were always hilarious.

“Yeah, blizted.”

“She speaks.”

Her forehead puckered, “what?”

“You weren’t very talkative yesterday,” he replied with a shrug.

“You’re right; let’s reintroduce. Audrey.”

“Juan. Juice.”

“I’m not going to ask how you got that nickname.”

“Maybe I’ll tell you sometime.”

While she drummed her fingertips against the floor, “I’m sure it’s a great story.”

They both nodded. It was quiet for a moment. Not an awkward silence, a relaxed silence.

He tilted his head towards her, “so, where’s Justin?”

There were a million better things he could’ve said, but he _didn’t know any better_.

“Justin doesn’t hang out with my friends, and I don’t hang out with his.”

He blinked, “don’t you think that’s a little weird?”

She crinkled her nose, “no, friends are meant to fill emotional needs. Justin and I get along better with different people.”

“Hmm.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear, “I’d rather talk about _Jax’s farts_ than talk about Justin.”

He laughed out loud, “same here.”

Speaking of Jax, he came back inside the room and cruised over to the wall where Juice and Audrey sat. His eyes darted between the two of them, and a smile dangled on the corners of his lips. Audrey knew what that expression meant, and she screwed up her face.

First Tara, now Jax too?

“My mom asked to see you, Addie,” he said. His eyes were red and practically sealed shut, and Audrey had a feeling hers were not too far off. She did not want to stroll into Gemma’s office high as a kite, but one does not say _no_ when they are summoned by the SAMCRO matriarch. Not if they wanted to hang out around the clubhouse, that is.

“I’ll still be here when you get back,” Juice said, as if he had sensed her uneasiness. She gave him a wry smile and got up. Gemma probably just wanted to check in on her. Audrey vented to her about her parents on multiple occasions.

“Don’t give yourself too much credit,” she said to Juice and exited the room.

She left the door leading into Gemma’s office wide open and nestled herself into the couch. Gemma poked her head up and smiled at her, “hey baby, how’s mom and dad?”

“Craig’s barely home. Andrea yaps at him over every little thing, and he yaps back.”

Gemma’s eyes missed nothing about the way Audrey’s muscles tightened up. “They shouldn’t fight like that in front of you, I know it’s a pain in the ass to deal with.”

“They had a conversation about me yesterday while completely ignoring my existence, I didn’t know that was _possible_.”

Gemma sighed and lit up a cigarette. “Sometimes I worry that their behavior influences you,” she admitted.

“About?”

“That boyfriend of yours” – Gemma shook her head – “he’s no good.”

Audrey’s lips primed, “excuse me?”

“I heard through the grapevine that you looked anxious when he picked you up yesterday, and he pulled that disrespectful shit _again_. Next time he honks for you like a dog, _Happy_ is going to be the one greeting him.”

Audrey slumped as if to appear smaller, “I’ll tell him to stop doing that.”

Gemma said with an unrelenting stare, “or better yet, leave him. Don’t wait until you’ve got a broken nose, or you’re thrown down a flight of stairs, or worse: you’re six feet under.”

Audrey exploded off the couch, “who the hell are you to say something like that! Justin would never- “

“I’m the only person that’s going to tell you exactly how it is, sweetheart,” Gemma replied. She stood up from her desk and waltzed over to Audrey. She had something in her hand. She motioned for Audrey to extend her palm out, which Audrey reluctantly did.

It was a small can of pepper spray, the perfect size to dangle on a key chain. Audrey looked at it in disbelief. “Why- “

“In case _prince charming_ gets a little too grabby.”

Audrey clenched her fist around the can, “you don’t know anything about Justin, and you have no right to accuse him of- “

Gemma stood with her hands on her hips and hovered over Audrey, “I know about guys like Justin, dealt with them when I was your age. You will never be good enough; he will rip apart your confidence and then remind you why you are so _lucky_ to be with him. It has nothing to do with you, there’s something broken inside of _him_.”

Audrey opened her mouth to say something, but Gemma shushed her and continued on, “I get it, he’s the first boy you ever slept with, and sometimes that jealousy comes off as _passion_ , and it makes you feel like there’s a deeper connection than there actually is.”

She’d heard enough. Her eyes flashed with defiance and she clinched her jaw, “I’m putting in my two weeks’ notice,” Audrey said.

Gemma said with a roll of her eyes, “you’ll be back.”

Audrey went for the exit and Gemma rested a hand on her shoulder, “you may not be blood family, but you’ve been friends with my son since you two were babies. He confided in you last year when his father passed away. You _mean something_ to this family, and our door is open to you when you’re ready to accept it.”

Audrey refused to turn around, she didn’t want Gemma to see her cry. Her head was spinning, and her body tingled. She needed to get the hell out of there. “Thanks for the advice, Gem,” she choked out and left the office.

Everything was a blur as she scurried to the Impala. Her movements were delayed, and it took her longer then it should’ve to whip out the car keys...

“Hey!”

It annoyed the hell out of her that she already recognized that damn voice. She spun around to face Juice. “What?”

He made his way towards her with long-legged strides. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Leaving,” she said as she swung open the car door.

His hand was on top of hers before she could make another move. “Wait,” he said.

She instantly felt heat. His skin was so warm. He had shocked her. Literally. She yanked her arm away from the static zip and shut the car door. She leaned against the Impala and crossed her arms over her chest. “This better be good,” she warned.

“You’re stoned,” he mumbled. She could not help but notice that his pupils were dilated.

It was probably just the weed.

“And?” she replied.

“So maybe you should rethink operating a four-thousand-pound vehicle,” he said.

She went bug-eyed and raked her fingers through her hair. Reality hit her hard. Had she really been about to _drive_ like this? The air felt heavier, and her heart rate increased. Suddenly it was all about Justin and his freezing contempt. And then it was about her parents, the way that their eyes burned at the sight of each other.

“Holy shit,” -hot tears ran down her cheeks- “I can’t believe that I was about to- “

“But you didn’t. I stopped you.”

“I need to sit down.”

Juice reached for Audrey’s keys. “In the passenger side,” he said with a gleam of deviltry.

Audrey nodded and reopened the car door. She slid past the driver’s seat and cut her eyes to Juice. He followed her in and shut the door behind him. She wiped her face with the back of her hand, smearing her makeup. She did not care.

She tilted her head towards him and expelled her breath in a whole. “You probably think I’m crazy.”

He shook his head. “A little confusing, but not crazy.”

“Why’d you follow me?”

His lips set in a grim line. “Your conversation with Gemma might’ve…drifted a little bit,” he answered.

She sat there, slack mouthed. “You mean,” -she rested her palm on her forehead- “everyone heard me.”

“I volunteered to go after you. Tara wanted to, but I figured you had already heard what she had to say. I thought you’d appreciate a new perspective.”

She pulled out a pack of cigarettes as she digested his words. He reached over and took one without asking. She picked one out of the pack and allowed the cigarette to hang immobile in her mouth for a moment before she lit it. She pretended like she did not notice him staring as she exhaled a cloud of smoke.

“New perspective on what? And I swear to god if you say Justin- “

“You said earlier that you didn’t want to talk about Justin, and I respect that,” he replied.

Audrey laughed through a new set of tears. “Wow. Even the _new guy_ knows about my drama with Justin. How embarrassing.”

“Well, what does that tell you?”

She glared at him. He raised his hands up as a show of peace, “my bad,” he said.

He changed the subject, “you want to know how I got my nickname?”

“Sure.”

“My initials are J.O., and backwards that makes OJ. But then the whole OJ Simpson trial happened, and I didn’t want that nickname attached to me anymore. So _OJ_ became _Juice_.”

Audrey squinted, “isn’t OJ Simpson’s nickname Juice too?”

Juice ran his palm over his short hair, “fuck if I know. I’ll be pissed if it is, cause it’s too late to change it again.”

“Why don’t you tell the guys that story, they’d love it,” Audrey said.

Juice’s cheeks turned red, “I might’ve told them that my nickname had...other origins. I used to sell bud back in Queens, but that’s not where the name came from.”

Audrey studied him. “Jax and Opie aren’t judgmental. They’ll still like you even if you weren’t some big-time drug dealer back in New York,” she said. 

And so, they sat and talked like that for over an hour. Juice convinced Audrey to go back inside and make up with Gemma.

He gave her a toothy smile, “you’re like two people, Addie.”

“Well, I _am_ a Gemini.”

“Makes sense.”

“What are you?” she asked.

“Taurus.”

“Hmm.”

A wary smile surfaced on his lips. “Is that supposed to mean something?”

“No. I don’t know shit about zodiac signs.”

“Me neither,” he said.

Audrey giggled. “Tara does,” she said, “she goes on and on about how she and Jax are so _compatible.”_

“Oh, but they totally are,” Juice replied, “they’re going to get married, and buy a big house somewhere, and pop out ten kids.”

“Jax and Tara with a big house and ten kids, that’ll be the day.”

Audrey hated that idea. She was convinced that love started off as being young and not knowing anything, but thinking you’ve got it all figured out. Then you get older and the little things that used to make your heartbeat faster are what make your skin crawl. Oh well, such is life.

It had been a chaotic twenty-four hours. And yet, sitting there with Juice in the TM parking lot, she felt calm. Calmer than she had felt in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good thing Gemma gave her that pepper spray, I’ve got a feeling it’s going to come in handy…
> 
> ***As of 09/29/20 this story is being rewritten. When it is completed, I will repost the first 5 chapters and then update daily***


	3. You Oughta Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I want you to know, that I am happy for you. I wish nothing but the best for you both.” – Alanis Morissette, 1995
> 
> Unser throws a 1950s themed drive-in movie before the start of the school year. The group attends, and everything goes swimmingly – for a little while.

Juice’s first week at TM had gone smoothly. He had taken up the Thunderbird as his own personal project, Jax was spot on when he had called it a dinosaur. Even though it was held together by countless intricate parts and details that made Juice’s head spin, the car had personality, and he liked the challenge.

He noticed Audrey walk out of Gemma’s office. She looked happy. Her face shone with it. This was the first time he had seen her with a smile so wide, and her eyes twinkled with such depth of color. She had traded her grungy, offbeat clothes for a floral mini dress and black converse. It looked like she had taken a straightener to her hair. Was there something going on tonight?

He was unsure of how long he had been staring. He got a good indication when his fingers absentmindedly pulled the dipstick out of the transmission, causing a black fluid to spray out uncontrollably.

“Shit!”

Audrey turned towards him, and a faint smile dangled at the corners of her lips at the predicament he had gotten himself into. Every little thing she seemed able to find humor in, and all her worries, for a fleeting moment, she seemed to have forgotten about.

Juice liked her more with each passing second. He shoved the dipstick back inside and slammed the hood of the car shut as she neared him.

“Here,” she said, and handed him a rag.

“Thanks,” he replied. He took it from her and wiped his face off. Transmission fluid was not hazardous to your health, right?

Her eyelashes fluttered. She resembled a fairy, with sea-nymph ears and a dainty nose. “Working hard, I see.”

His heart galloped. Wait, why was it galloping? He should not feel this way about a girl with a boyfriend. “Yeah, real hard,” he mumbled. He wanted to kick himself over that comment, because technically he _was_ har-

He stopped that thought before it could go any further.

Audrey rocked back and forth on her heels, “you coming to the movie tonight?”

Well that clarified why she was dressed so nicely. He straightened himself out, nervously trying to save face, “what movie?”

“Have you met Unser?”

“Yeah.”

“He does this _back to the fifties_ night every summer, always the last weekend before school starts. Drive-in movie, he pays for a team to come out and set up the theater.”

“That’s...really nice.”

Audrey shrugged like it was old news to her, “he likes to give back to Charming as much as possible.”

Juice nodded, “I’ll go.”

Her brows knitted, and then she blurted out, “I never thanked you for talking me down that night.”

He waved his hand, “no need to thank me. That’s what friends do.”

“So, we’re friends now?” Audrey asked.

“I’d like to think so,” Juice replied. They could be friends. Just friends. No problem. He could live the rest of his life being one hundred percent okay with _that_.

She had a pensive expression, like there was still something she wanted to say, “I just don’t need a guy to swoop in and save me, you know?”

“Fine by me, but don’t think I won’t step in again if I see you trying to crash your dad’s Impala,” he said with a cheeky grin.

Audrey bit her lip and glanced away. She turned back, “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she replied with a lackluster smile.

Juice hated the way that her mannerisms shifted at just the simple mention of that night. But what could he do? There was no _right way_ to intervene without overstepping his boundaries. He could sense that she was the type of person who internalized things, and based on her conversation with Gemma, she did not appreciate it when people brought those issues to the surface.

He changed the subject. “I should probably head home. Shift’s over, and I am in desperate need of a shower,” he said, bringing attention to his oil-soaked shirt.

Audrey flashed her dimples, “yeah, you look like you’ve been rolling around in a dumpster,” she joked. They said goodbye, which was really _see you later,_ and she took off.

Juice sighed. She always had to be the first one to walk away, didn’t she?

Chibs ambled into the garage and snorted when he saw Juice. “Jesus Christ boy, the hell happened to you?”

“I, uh...got distracted,” he replied.

The older man clapped his palm onto Juice’s shoulder, “wear red tonight, that’s _Addie girl’s_ favorite color,” he said with a playful smirk.

Juice gulped, “noted."

* * *

‘Back to the fifties’ night was in full swing. Everything was set up in the parking lot of Charming high school. The large movie screen and projection booth took up more than half of the lawn, squeezing in just enough room for a small concession stand.

“Is it just me, or has Unser played _Samurai Cop_ every year since middle school?” Opie asked.

Jax chortled, “Its common knowledge that he lives vicariously through Matt Hannon.”

“He’s probably got a katana in the trunk of his cop car, and he’s just _waiting_ for the perfect moment to whip it out,” Tara added.

Donna burst into laughter at that imagery, “I would love to see the look on someone’s face if old-ass Unser whipped out a katana on them.”

Juice looked over at Audrey and Justin, who were making out in the driver’s seat of his Mustang. It was disgusting, like decomposing-roadkill-with-flies-buzzing-all-over level _gross_. He was not the only one who felt that way. Unser walked over to the car and tapped his flashlight against the hood. When he had gotten their attention, he said something about how Audrey needed to get into the passenger side and _stay there_. Audrey’s cheeks flushed. Justin looked annoyed.

To Juice’s surprise, Audrey got out of the car and made her way over to the group. “Hey, guys,” she said in a sing-song voice as she approached them. At least her mood was still bubbly.

“Oh, look whose come crawling back,” Jax teased.

Opie tilted his head, “trouble in paradise?”

“Hey, Addie,” Juice said with a cheeky grin.

Audrey beamed at him, “hey Juice!” she said, purposefully ignoring Jax and Opie. She plopped down in between him and Tara. The six of them were sitting directly on the grass next to the guys’ motorcycles and the Cutlass. She looked him up and down, her eyes stopping for a split second at his chest before she began to chat with Tara and Donna.

Audrey’s gaze shifted over to Jax, “I know you’ve got some good shit,” she said.

Jax was not done teasing her, “you know I do, but you don’t deserve it,” he replied.

Audrey extended her arm towards Jax, “hand it over.”

Jax let out an exasperated sigh before he reached into his back pocket and pulled out the flask that they had passed around earlier. He gave it to Audrey, and she leaned over, not wanting to draw suspicion to herself and took a large swig. Her face twisted up at the taste, much to Jax’s pleasure.

“Jeez, thanks for the warning,” she said and wiped her mouth off.

Jax slapped his knee, “that’s what you get for dating that fart-knocker.”

The comment did not appear to bother Audrey, who was used to this bantering.

The movie was about to start when Justin slithered over to them. Juice could almost see the color drain from Audrey’s face as he got closer, however it was too dark to draw a conclusion.

“Are you coming back over, Addie?” Justin asked with a hint of malice in his voice.

You could cut the tension with a knife.

“I’ll give you credit, you’ve got balls to walk over here,” Jax said without making eye contact. He stared straight ahead, as if he could not trust himself to look Justin head on.

“I’ve got no gripes with you, Jax,” he replied. That was a total lie, but whatever. “Addie?” he asked again.

Audrey stood up that time. “I’ll see you guys later,” she said, and went off with Justin.

“I propose that we sneak in early on the first day of school and plant a bag of dog-shit in his locker,” Opie said, causing everyone to chuckle.

“Hey, where’s the bathroom?” Juice asked.

Opie pointed him in the right direction and Juice scurried off. He grimaced upon the realization that ‘back to the fifties night’ went together with _porta-potties._ He had slight OCD, and the uncleanliness surrounding outdoor public bathrooms unnerved him. He made it quick, slamming his eyes shut and doing everything in his power to pretend he was at home, even holding his breath to block out the grotesque smell.

He overheard an alarming confrontation when he stepped out of the porta-potty. Two voices were in the middle of an intense argument. The first voice was Audrey’s, and the second voice...well, it was obvious who it belonged to.

_“How do you think it makes me feel when you ditch me to hang out with Jax Teller and the rest of those morons?”_

_“Justin, you seriously need to calm down. I was planning on coming back over to you, I don’t see the big deal here.”_

_“The big deal is that you’re already embarrassing me by wearing a dress that barely covers your goddamn underwear. The last thing I should have to do is fetch you from your little group of social outcasts. My friends are questioning me about dating you, and you’re not doing anything to change their opinion on you- “_

_“We’ve been together for a year, and now they’re questioning you? How about standing up for your girlfriend?”_

_“It’d be easier to stand up for you if you didn’t associate yourself with criminals!”_

_“Can you stop being a condescending asshole every time you mention my friends? I’m sick of hearing it!”_

_“I don’t know, Addie. Maybe I will when you stop lying to me.”_

_“Lying to you about what?”_

_“You’re still working at TM. You promised me that you’d look for work elsewhere- “_

_“Sorry that my parents aren’t rich like yours, and I can’t just quit my job without having another one lined up first!”_

Against his better judgement, Juice peeked over. He spotted the two of them standing alongside the school, just out of view of the parking lot. Audrey leaned against the brick wall with her arms folded across her chest. Justin hovered over her like a gray cloud, as if he were a threatening storm ready to pour down onto her.

Justin said something that Audrey visibly disagreed with. She protested and tried to create space between them by taking a few steps forward. He clamped his fingers into her tender flesh and shoved her against the wall. Her face contorted and she whimpered out in pain.

The events that followed were hazy. All Juice could remember was that one second, he was standing by the porta-potty, and by the next he had landed a solid right hook onto Justin’s jaw. The scary part was that he did not even _see_ Justin, he saw his father.

Justin stumbled backwards, “you piece of shit!” he groaned.

“What’s the matter? Figured you’d take a punch better than that, since you’re such a tough guy,” Juice said with a wide sweep of his arms, ready for a fight.

Justin clenched his dirty little fists, “you’re about to get your ass kicked.”

Audrey reached for Justin’s shoulder and then darted her hand away as if she were afraid of his reaction to being touched, “stop it! Both of you!” she yelled.

Neither of them listened to her. Justin lunged at Juice, and his first hit only grazed Juice’s chin. The second one was better, right in the gut, and it doubled Juice over.

In all fairness, Justin _was_ a quarterback.

Juice got up, brandished his fist, and in record time they were wrestling around in the grass, thrashing, and kicking each other. Audrey’s cries for them to cease the fight were useless. A crowd began to form. Everyone had already seen _Samurai Cop_ , but no one had seen _this_.

Unser ran over to the scuffle, “alright, break it up!” he exclaimed.

Two sets of arms wrapped around Juice from behind and ripped him off Justin. Juice looked up to see that it was Jax and Opie. A third kid (he would later discover that his name was _David Hale_ ) grabbed Justin and helped him to his feet.

“I thought you were going to take a piss,” Opie grunted as he lifted Juice up.

“Not going to lie, watching Justin get his ass handed to him is way more interesting than _Samurai Cop_ ,” Jax said.

“The hell is going on here?” Unser shouted.

Justin shook himself out, “nothing serious, just some harmless fun,” he answered with a sinister look on his face.

“Oh yeah, shoving your girlfriend against a brick wall is _harmless fun_ ,” Juice said through gritted teeth, causing a few eyebrows to raise within the crowd. He realized without delay that airing Audrey’s dirty laundry was a shitty thing to do, but he was so caught up in the moment...

“This idiot doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Justin huffed.

Jax and Opie cut their eyes to Justin, they looked ready to come to blows.

Audrey stayed silent, but her eyes spoke volumes. Unser glanced at her, giving her a chance to speak. She said nothing.

Unser made a general statement that was somewhat directed towards Audrey, “if anyone has anything to report, my office is open,” he said. Then he pointed his finger towards Justin and eased it over to Juice, “I need you two to scram before I hit you both with assault charges. Everyone else, get back to your cars.”

Now that the excitement was over, the crowd withered away. Jax and Opie trailed after Unser. Tara and Donna walked back towards the Cutlass, however, their eyes stayed glued to Audrey.

Justin took hold of Audrey’s hand, “let’s get out of here,” he said.

Her eyes flashed and she jerked her hand away, “you need to leave, I’ll find another ride home,” she spat at him.

Justin gave a smile that did little to hide his fury, “Addie, _I said_ that we’re leaving.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you, not while you’re _like this_ ,” she replied and balled her fists.

“Fine. Stay here with your trashy, loser friends,” he said through a humorless chuckle, “Forget the fact that people only know who you are because of _me_.” He jutted his chin towards Juice, “this isn’t over, punk,” he growled.

“Open up a can of whoop-ass,” Juice sneered.

Justin shook his head and flounced away in the direction of his Mustang. Juice imagined that pretentious car would look a hell of a lot better with three slashed tires...

“The hell was that all about?” Audrey’s voice rang through his eardrums and snapped him back into reality.

“You’re asking _me_ what that was about? I was defending you!”

She drew nearer, “I never _asked you_ to defend me.”

His shoulders slumped in defeat, “the hell was I supposed to do? Sit back and watch him manhandle you?”

“I had the situation under control” – her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths – “knowing Unser, this is going to get back to my parents- “

Juice felt concerned about what Audrey’s definition of _under control_ was. He gave a mirthless laugh, “as it should! Do you not see how messed up this is? I’m trying to help you because I’m your friend- “

“We are not friends!” Audrey’s shrill voice echoed inside of his head, and it took him a few seconds to collect himself.

He blinked, “what?”

She hesitated, and then, “I think it’s best for the both of us if we stay away from each other.”

Audrey should have decked him. That would have hurt less. He remembered this morning, specifically the glowing expression on her face. The way she looked now – timid, with her arms enveloped around her body like a shield – paled in comparison.

Juice tapped his foot, needing to expel excess energy, “I can’t believe that you would’ve rather had me do _nothing_ ,” he admitted.

The muscles in her face tightened, “I told you earlier that I don’t need anyone to _save me_. Not only that, you caused a huge scene that _everyone_ saw. People are going to have questions, questions that I can’t answer- “

He cut her off, “because you don’t know the answer, or you don’t _like it_?”

Her body trembled, and she looked like she was about to burst into tears. Her lips screwed into a scowl, “either way it’s none of your business. Not yours, or Gemma’s, or anyone else’s. _Mine_.”

Juice threw his hands up in the air and gave her a shallow grin, “don’t worry, I’ll never interfere with your _business_ again.” He turned his back on her only to swing back around and say something he would later regret, “maybe you and Justin _are_ perfect for one another, you’re both fucking _delusional_.”

The pained look on her face absolutely destroyed him. “Fuck you,” she hissed, and barged straight past him.

Juice was too pissed off to run after her and attempt to apologize. So instead he stormed over to his motorcycle and hastily sat down. As his fingers went for the ignition switch, he realized that his hands were shaking. Deciding not to pull an _Audrey_ , he gave himself a moment to breathe before he fired up the bike.

“Hold on,” a voice called out. He peered over his shoulder and saw Tara pacing towards him.

“What’s up,” he muttered. His fingers tightly gripped the handlebars.

“Why’d you punch Justin?” she asked.

“Cause he’s a dick.”

She rolled her eyes, “anyone with half a brain knows that. I mean, what prompted you to do it? Did you really see him shove her?”

Juice inhaled. Was it worth it to tell Tara the truth?

He exhaled. Yes, it was.

“That asshole yanked her arm and then shoved her against the wall. Saw it with my own eyes. I got so _heated_ , and instinct took over, and before I knew what I was doing...”

“You made this fifties night one to _remember_ ,” she finished his sentence.

Juice lowered his head, “I won’t be surprised if you guys choose to steer clear of me from now on,” he said.

Tara gave an amused laugh, “are you kidding me? If anything, you have earned Jax and Opie’s _respect_ for fighting Justin, they hate him. They’re over there talking Unser down on your behalf,” she replied.

“I’ll have to thank them for that. Despite what Justin says, you guys are cool. I like how tight-knit your group is.”

Tara pressed a hand to her cheek and studied Juice, “we’re like that because we can relate to each other.”

He recognized what she was trying to do for him – it was like what he had done for Audrey a week ago. He was grateful for it.

“Do you want to elaborate?” he asked.

“Well there’s me, for starters. My mom died when I was nine. Car accident. I have my dad; except we do not always get along. He’s not, like, abusive or anything, but there are times when a girl just needs her mom,” she said, nonchalantly.

He bobbed his head, “that’s understandable.”

“Then you’ve got Jax, and I’m sure you’ve heard about what happened to his dad last year.”

“He rode his bike into a semi, right?”

Tara fiddled with her bracelet. “Yeah. Gemma’s a good mom, but she is overbearing sometimes. She’s only recently warmed up to me, and I’m not even sure how long that’ll last,” she answered.

He placed his hands inside the pockets of his leather jacket, “oh, come on, Gemma loves you,” he replied.

She raised her shoulder in a half shrug, “that can be debated” – she gestured towards the parking lot – “anyway, then there’s Opie.”

Juice lifted his chin, “his dad is a member of the MC.”

“Mm-hmm. Piney’s absent from Ope’s life because of it. Mom is not any better. They’re the opposite of Donna’s parents, a.k.a. the helicopter mom and dad,” she said while she twirled a finger around in the air, imitating a plane.

That explained why he had clicked with them – if shitty parents were good at one thing, it was bringing angry teenagers closer together.

“My dad left when I was seven – a month after my little sister was born. I spent so long being _bitter_ about it, that I let my drive to succeed at life slip away. My mom’s been amazing raising the two of us herself. I’m consumed with this _guilt_ , because I know that I made it harder for her,” he said.

Tara said with a gleam in her eye, “and you thought you didn’t have a _place_ in our friend group.”

Juice arched a sly brow, “and last but not least- “

“Addie. Her parents fight _all the time_. Probably would have divorced by now if it were not for the house. For a long time, she felt like she needed to choose a side – now she just actively despises both,” she remarked.

He frowned, “she actively despises _me_ ,” he said.

“I wouldn’t take it to heart. Whatever she said to you, it was out of shock. Trust me,” Tara replied.

He scratched his head, “can I ask you a serious question?”

“Go ahead.”

He took a sharp breath, and then, “how do you help someone like that?”

Tara’s forehead puckered. She pursed her lips, deep in thought. Finally, “you let them know that you are _there_ for them, no matter what. And when they are ready to make that decision for themselves – you support them. I know that it sucks to feel powerless – but you can’t save someone that doesn’t _want_ to be saved,” she answered.

Juice was at a loss for words, “why would anyone willingly choose to _stay_?”

“Toxic relationships like that are really fucking difficult to navigate. The hard part is that Justin was not always like this, but people change. I’m going to have a conversation with Addie when she’s calmed down, though,” she said as she dragged her feet in place.

“That’s a promising idea,” he replied, “she’ll respond better to you.”

Tara patted Juice on the back, “I think you’re going to be okay, kid,” she said, “also, you need to put an ice pack on that busted lip.”

“You should see the other guy,” Juice joked. He gave her a feeble smile and started up his bike. He liked Tara. Jax was lucky to be with her. He did not understand why Gemma would disapprove of their relationship.

The ride home helped to clear his head. Two things were certain: he was now public enemy number one to the most popular guy in school, before the semester had even started. And secondly, he was _over_ girls with dirty blonde hair and sad blue eyes. Not to say that he had ever _liked_ them to begin with.

* * *

Juice bolted for his bedroom as soon as he got home. The last thing he wanted to do was explain his busted lip to his mother. Gracie was asleep, otherwise his cover would have been blown. He tore off his stupid _red t-shirt_ and flung it onto the floor. He sat on his bed and stared at the wall for what felt like hours. Hot tears ran down his cheeks before he could stop them.

His mother had always told him that it was okay to cry – that crying was not reserved only for girls and showing emotion did not mean he was weak. He had held back while he was talking to Tara, but now that he was alone, he was free to sob like a baby. For whatever reason, he still felt embarrassed about it.

There was a soft knock on the door. “Juan are you okay?” it was his mother’s voice.

Shit. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he called out, hoping that she would not open the door.

No such luck. The door opened. Maria stepped inside and her eyes widened when she got a good look at her son’s face.

“Before you ask me a million questions, yes, I got into a fight,” Juice said and swiped his under eye.

That did not prevent her from asking him a million questions. Instead of lying to her, like he would have in New York, he tried something different: he answered each question honestly. After he was finished, Maria left the room to grab him an ice pack.

She came back and handed it to him, “this girl, you said her name was Addie?”

“Yeah.”

Maria placed her palm against her forehead, “It’s not your job to come to her rescue – but I understand why you’d _want to_. What she is going through is very unfortunate – have you tried talking to an adult about it? Someone that you trust?”

Juice shook his head, “no, I” – he paused – “someone else is going to talk to her, someone that has more reach than I do.”

“Based on what you’ve told me, Unser, if he’s a _good cop_ , should be keeping a watchful eye on this _Justin_ now. In that sense, you did _something_ to help her – even if she does not agree with it.”

“Thanks, mom...does this mean I’m not grounded?”

“Absolutely not. Until school starts, you go to work and then come straight home,” she rubbed his head, “that doesn’t mean I’m not proud of you for standing up for that girl.”

They talked a little more and then she left so that he could get some sleep – after making him promise that he would not get into any more fights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is going to be a slow burn with these two crazy kids. 
> 
> Something to look forward to: school starts in chapter 4! I mean, this is a High School AU after all. 
> 
> If you are enjoying the story, I would love to know what you think so far. :)


	4. Don't Speak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Don’t speak, I know just what you’re sayin,’ so please stop explainin,’ don’t tell me cause it hurts.”
> 
> “Our memories, well, they can be inviting. But some are altogether mighty frightening.” – No Doubt, 1995 
> 
> Despite their best efforts to avoid one another, Audrey and Juice are forced to work together when they are paired as lab partners for the semester.

Opie was acting weird. His aloof behavior had started after the fiasco that was ‘back to the fifties’ night. He spoke to Audrey with short sentences, and she could not tell if it was only mere coincidence that he bolted for the exit each time she entered a room. At least Juice had a _reason_ to steer clear of her, she had _told_ him to.

Whatever. She had more important things to worry about, like the fact that she was currently sitting on _207_ unread AIM messages from Justin. Many of them would come in late at night while she was talking to Tara. That little antagonizing number would pop up at the bottom of the screen, reminding her that she needed to face her demons.

 _Not yet_ , she would tell herself. She had not seen Justin since _that night_ , and with each passing day, her anxiety snowballed.

* * *

She woke up at five o’clock that morning. Not to get all _done up_ for the first day of her senior year, but because her body refused to stay asleep. She had tossed and turned all night, every night, for the last three days. As she got ready for school, she smeared a bit of eyeliner underneath her eyes and applied mascara to cover her dark circles, and then jammed her bare foot into a pair of jeans.

After she was finished getting dressed, Audrey strolled through the living room, straight past her dad on the couch. It was as if he had never left that spot from the prior evening...

“I hope you plan on eating something before you leave,” her mother said to her as she entered the kitchen. Tara would be there to pick her up any minute. Audrey ate a piece of toast to satisfy her mom. Andrea watched her and sighed deeply, “I don’t want to worry you, but there are some things your father and I need to discuss with you- “

Tara’s Cutlass honked from outside, cutting Andrea off mid-sentence. Audrey sprung up out of her seat and eagerly headed for the door. Her house felt like a black and white movie, devoid of color, and the slightest bit of _fervor_. Leaving was a breath of fresh air, despite how she felt about running into Justin. She turned around to face Andrea, “I’m going to the mall with Tara after school, is dad going to be home later?” she brushed her off.

Andrea gave a small nod and a hint of sadness shone through her eyes, “no rush,” she said just above a whisper. She had not explicitly stated whether Craig would be home, however, that response told Audrey everything she needed to know.

Audrey knew that she could be cold sometimes, it was a defense mechanism. If she _acted_ like she did not care – then maybe the rest of her emotions would follow suit. Maybe.

“I’ll see you tonight, mom.”

“Have a good first day, sweetie.”

She stepped out onto the porch and was greeted by an unwelcome surprise: a bouquet of twelve red roses with a small note attached. Her heart sank.

_Addie,_

_I am sorry about how everything went down. I understand why you are avoiding me right now, but just know that I have been thinking about you – and I miss you a lot. Whenever you are ready to talk, I am here._

The note was not signed. It did not have to be, she recognized the handwriting. It was also ambiguous enough not to alarm her parents if they had found it instead of her – he was calculated. She stood there, rereading the words repeatedly until the sound of Tara honking brought her back to reality. She crumpled up the note in her palm, shoved it into her back pocket and bee-lined for the car, leaving the roses on the steps.

* * *

Audrey said her goodbyes to Tara and headed for her locker. She hoped to get a chance to talk to Opie before homeroom, since his locker was directly across from hers.

She got there just in time – Donna gave Opie a kiss on the cheek and cruised down the hallway. Audrey waltzed over to him and leaned against the row of lockers with her arms folded across her chest. “Hey,” she said, casually.

Opie’s brows knitted in a frown, “hi,” he mumbled back.

She groaned and straightened herself out, “seriously, what the fuck is your problem? You have been treating me like Axl Rose, and I am _not_ that big of a jerk.”

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, but he fought it. Instead he stretched extravagantly and yawned as if he could not be bothered, and then he said, “you realize that word spreads fast, specifically, the things that _your boyfriend_ says about us.”

“You talk shit about him, he talks shit about you, this isn’t anything new,” she replied.

“We rightfully call him out for being a dick because he _is_ one. But he takes shit to a whole other level – talks smack about the club, spreads rumors about our _families_. He says things that anyone else would get their teeth knocked out for, but I hold back out of respect for _you_ ,” he explained.

Audrey tensed, “where are you going with this, Ope?” she asked.

Opie made direct eye contact with her, “I can’t help but wonder if maybe you agree with him, since you’re _together_ and all.”

“I don’t, and I _cannot_ believe you’d think that” she huffed.

His toe tapped a staccato rhythm, “really? Cause if you’re still with him, at the very least that means you _accept_ it” – he inhaled a sharp breath – “and, honestly, I don’t know how to feel about that.”

“I- “she started to speak but was unable to find words. She was stunned. His point _was_ valid.

“Things are changing. We’re practically adults now, and” – he paused – “if I decide to follow in my old man’s footsteps, I can’t surround myself with _half-assed_ friends.” He maintained a tall, erect posture, and Audrey had never seen him look so _serious_. This demeanor was a far cry from the goofy idiot that she had grown up with.

“Wait,” she replied, “follow in his footsteps? You mean the club? _Prospecting_?” A part of her knew that it was inevitable, for Opie _and_ for Jax. And yet it still felt like a foreign concept.

“Take care of yourself, Addie. Seriously,” he said before he abruptly shut his locker and walked off. She saw right through his anger and knew that more than anything he was _hurt_.

Great. So now Opie hated her, too. All because of Justin. Even when she ignored him, he _still_ managed to complicate her life.

* * *

Homeroom was uneventful. Throughout first and second period, her thoughts continuously replayed what Opie had said to her. Was she a sellout, a half-assed friend, like he had put it?

Her third period class was Biology. Audrey _loved_ science. She liked nature because it was straightforward. Grass would always be green regardless of which side it was on, and clouds turned gray before rain. Knowing what to expect was comforting. It was easy to get swept up by the everyday grind of life, but science reminded her that everyone was smaller and more interconnected than anyone’s mind could ever comprehend.

So, it made her feel giddy when she entered the classroom and did not recognize a single face. She knew _of_ the students in her class, but she was not on speaking terms with any of them. Perfect.

Mrs. Campo, the head of Charming High’s science club, was teaching the class. Audrey had been a member of the science club for three years before she resigned at the end of last semester. Meetings were after school on Wednesdays, and that was when _Justin_ had free time. Football practice was on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays – Fridays were reserved for partying.

The bell rang. Mrs. Campo stood up from her desk and made her introductory speech to the class. She had just begun to take attendance when the door swung open, and Juice walked in. He was flustered, and at once all eyes were on him. “Sorry,” he said, “I got lost.”

Mrs. Campo tilted her head towards Juice, “It’s alright, I haven’t taken attendance yet,” she replied. He smiled at her before making his way to the back of the classroom and claiming the last empty seat.

Well, there goes Biology.

After she finished roll call, Mrs. Campo lifted a slip of paper from her desk. “I have randomly selected your lab partners for the semester. Each lab assignment is expected to be a team effort, and if you slack off, it _will_ affect your partner’s grade.”

Audrey thought nothing of it until Mrs. Campo got to her name.

“Audrey Hayes” – her eyes scanned the list – “ah, you’re partnered with Juan Ortiz.”

What. The. Fuck. As if today could not get any _worse_.

She craned her neck towards Juice and shot him a gimlet-eyed stare. He gave her a half shrug. She tuned out the rest of the lecture, and only came to when the bell rang. A worksheet containing their first project had been placed at the front of the classroom. She got up, snatched one of the worksheets and stormed over to Juice’s desk.

“When’s your free period?” she grumbled at him.

“Fifth,” he answered.

“Mine too. Meet me in room 223 to go over this project, and _don’t_ be late,” she said. Without waiting for his response, Audrey pivoted on her heel and took off.

* * *

In retrospect, she _had_ been a little bitchy.

Room 223 was a vacant classroom that students used for studying. She preferred it to the library, which was never actually quiet. Audrey got there early and already had much of their assignment planned out when Juice showed up. He settled his backpack onto the table and pulled out a chair.

“You ate lunch here?” he asked, gesturing towards her half-eaten apple.

“Yeah, I wanted to get a head-start,” she answered. The actual truth would have been, ‘ _I got into an argument with one of my best friends, and I’m also hiding from my crazy boyfriend_. _Therefore, the cafeteria is the last place you would ever find me._ ’

He crinkled his nose, and in that moment, she realized how cute he was. Obnoxiously cute. Cute until he made her relationship troubles a public display, and then called her _delusional_. Still cute, nonetheless. His eyes were a deep, chocolate brown that reminded her of snow days spent nestled up beside a fireplace.

That was a strange thought, considering there were no snow days in California.

“Look,” he started, “I think we should clear the air. It’ll make things less awkward, because right now I’m sweating more than I did in gym this morning.”

Her eyes, which had been previously glued to the worksheet, peered up at him. “Okay,” she said, warily.

“I’m sorry for blowing up your spot like that. I wasn’t thinking about _you_ , just about how angry I was at _him_.”

“If I felt like I needed your help, I would’ve asked for it. I’m just fed up with everyone telling _me_ about my life because they don’t understand- “

Audrey caught herself rambling. Half the time, she barely understood her own goddamn relationship. She knew it was not normal. She was not _that_ delusional, despite what Juice thought. She was hiding in an empty classroom for Christ’s sake.

He bit his lip, “you’re really confusing. It’s like the girl I talked to in the parking lot for two hours and the one sitting next to me are different people – which I’ve said before, it’s just...the only way I can describe it. And there’s one _variable_ that controls which version of Audrey I get – how’s that science lingo for you?”

Something about his response _irked_ her. She could not pin-point what it was about _him_ , he just got under her skin.

“Forget it,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand, “let’s just focus on the project. The last thing I need is to fail biology.” It came off sounding a lot ruder than she had intended.

He leaned back in his chair and twirled a pen through his fingers. “Interesting, I never pegged you as the science type.”

She pursed her lips, “and _why_ would that be?”

“I thought you were only into cigarettes and douchebags,” he said as if he were trying to incite a reaction.

He got one. Between the roses, Opie and now _this_ , it was all too much. Audrey’s fingers wrapped around her water bottle and she splashed the liquid onto Juice’s face, effectively drenching his t-shirt.

He exploded out of his seat, “what the hell!”

“That was really insensitive,” she said, and her voice cracked. She picked up her books and scurried for the exit.

“Addie, wait!” he called out from behind her. She ignored him.

Her feet did not stop until she reached room 343, where the science club met. If Mrs. Campo had the same schedule as last semester, then her office hours were during fifth period –

Audrey let out a sigh of relief when she saw Mrs. Campo seated at her desk. She was her favorite teacher – with auburn curls that halted just above her shoulders and quirky dimples whenever she smiled. For the first time that day, she felt like she could let her guard down.

Mrs. Campo perked her head up, “Audrey, it’s nice to see you. How was your summer?”

“It was good. I, uh- I was wondering if I could talk to you about changing my lab partner,” Audrey blurted out.

“Is there a problem with Mr. Ortiz?” she asked.

“No - I mean...I just don’t think we’re _compatible_ ,” Audrey said. Juice was annoying as all hell, but she did not want to get him into trouble.

Mrs. Campo’s forehead puckered, “I’m sorry to hear that. I thought you’d be a good partner for him, since you’ve always excelled in my classes.”

Audrey glanced at the floor and assessed her options. What Juice said had been uncalled for, but it was not unlike her to throw vocal daggers at people, especially when she felt backed into a corner. And to be fair, she had gone into that conversation already _hostile_. If he was a part of her friend group now, was it worth it to alienate herself further? She was on the outs with Opie – and who knew where Jax and Donna’s heads were at.

There was next to nothing she could do to break her friendship with Tara – except screw around with Jax. But she would never do that, it would feel borderline _incestuous._

“Let’s see how this first project goes. If I can’t stand to work with him after that, can I switch partners?” she decided on a compromise.

Mrs. Campo nodded, “I don’t think anyone would reject the opportunity to partner with the star of Charming High’s science club. Speaking of, have you signed up this year?”

“I haven’t – I might do the fair again, though.”

“That’s a shame, we’d love to have you back,” Mrs. Campo said with a slight frown.

Unsure of how to respond, Audrey said something about _freeing up her schedule_ and thanked Mrs. Campo for her time.

* * *

She shared one class with Justin – eighth period math. Thankfully, Tara was in that class as well and pulled Audrey out into the hallway the second the bell rang. They zipped directly to the parking lot.

Audrey got into the passenger side of the Cutlass and closed the door. She glanced over at Tara; whose eyes were fixated on something outside of the car. She shifted her gaze to match Tara’s and gaped in utter shock at what she saw.

It was Juice. He stood outside the entrance of the school, holding hands with none other than _Ima Tite_. They watched in horror as Ima kissed him and slid her sticky, pink tongue down his throat.

“Oh my god” – Tara gasped – “forget what I said about him being _cute_ , he’s probably riddled with STDs by now.”

Tara had a personal vendetta against Ima ever since she found out that Ima had given Jax a blowjob behind the bleachers during their sophomore year, while she and Jax were on a ‘break.’

Audrey shook her head, “that makes no sense, why would she be interested in him?” Ima was a cheerleader that hung out with Justin’s friends, making Juice an ineligible bachelor for her.

“You haven’t heard? Like, around school?” Tara asked.

Audrey quirked a brow, “heard what? I’ve been zoned out all day.”

“Juice is kind of...popular. People think it’s cool that he had the balls to punch Justin,” Tara replied.

“You have _got_ to be kidding me. He’s using this newfound fame that he got from fighting my boyfriend to...to screw cheerleaders!” she scoffed.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

Audrey’s lips curled in disgust, “let’s get out of here.”

Tara arched a sly brow, “you _jealous_ , Addie?” she teased in a sing-song voice.

She cut her eyes to Ima again, and then back to Tara. “Of _that_ pond scum? I’m good.”

Tara laughed as she fired up the engine, and within seconds they were pulling out of the parking lot. Audrey thought that Juice might have looked at her while they were driving away, but maybe it was just her eyes deceiving her.

* * *

They spent the afternoon eyeing up shops at the Stockton Mall. Audrey bought a new pager from the electronics store since her old one had stopped working about a month ago. She never bothered to replace it because she liked being off the grid. As she was checking out, her eyes wandered over the _Help Wanted_ sign. She almost asked for an application, but a tiny feeling in her gut stopped her.

Afterwards, they took a drive through the back roads of Charming, blasting music until Tara stopped the car at their usual spot. They got out and sat atop the hood of the Cutlass, overlooking the town.

“Are you happy?” Tara asked.

Audrey chuckled. “No, are you?”

“I was until fourth period.”

“What happened during fourth period?”

“I was having lunch with Jax and we sort of got into it. Him and Opie have collectively stopped caring,” Tara replied.

Audrey sat up. “Opie went off on me today over Justin’s shit talking, he said something about how he needs to weed all the fake people out of his life before he starts _prospecting_.”

Tara’s eyes rolled towards the sky, “they’re both dweebs. Jax thinks he can drop out during his _senior_ year because he’s turning eighteen soon and just depend on the club.”

“Gemma will _love_ that.”

“Of course, she will. Because fuck what’s best for Jax, right?”

“I love Gemma, but sometimes I really _do not_ love Gemma,” Audrey said.

Tara let out a string of frustrated curses. “Is it wrong to say that I’m enjoying Jax while he’s still _mine_ , before SAMCRO takes him away from me?”

Audrey glanced over and saw tears running down Tara’s cheeks. She placed her palm on Tara’s shoulder. “He’s been in line for that president’s chair since the day he was born. It came as a shock to me hearing it from Opie. But think about it: they’ve been having SAMCRO spoon-fed to them since they were kids.”

“Donna just seems so fucking _okay_ with it” – Tara wiped her eye – “like it hasn’t crossed her mind how much Ope’s going to change after graduation, if he doesn’t drop out like _Jax_.”

“She just wants to get married and have kids; you know that. She sees the club as stability, a means to an _end_ ,” Audrey replied, “and do not give up on Jax. The strongest push he has towards wearing a cap and gown is _you_.”

“That’s a lot of pressure. I’ll be applying to med schools while my outlaw boyfriend...does outlaw stuff,” Tara trailed off towards the end of her sentence and laughed at the pure _absurdity_ of it all.

“Sounds like a fairy tale to me,” Audrey joked.

Tara rested her hand on Audrey’s knee. “Enough about my life, what the _hell_ is going on with you and Justin?”

Audrey could lie to her parents, to Juice (even though he was _not_ that important, so she was unsure of why he popped up in her mental checklist) and to anyone who bothered to ask. But not Tara.

“He’s never been this _bad_. He used to have bad moments, but now – now he has _good_ moments, and even those are few and far between.”

“Was that bouquet of roses a _good_ moment?” Tara asked.

“No. That was an _I’m watching you_ moment.”

Tara exhaled through her nose. “You’ve never felt so far away, Addie. It’s like you’re here, but not _here_ ,” she patted the hood of the Cutlass for added effect.

Audrey sniffled, “I know I’ve got to end it, and everyone keeps _telling_ me that. Opie’s over my bullshit” -

“Screw _Opie_ ,” Tara intercepted, “so what if his little boy feelings are hurt. A real friend would not make your problems all about _them_.”

Now it was Audrey’s turn to cry. “Justin’s so fucking _different_ , I swear it’s like I used to _know_ him. He does not talk to me anymore, at least not about his feelings. I feel like I’m waiting on a lost cause, and time is running out.”

“Oh, Addie- “

“It would be so much easier if it was bad _all the time_. But the good memories - the _better times_ are what fuck me up,” she admitted.

“I know you love him,” Tara started, “actually, no. You are _infatuated_ with him, because you can never genuinely _love_ someone that does not let you in – but that is beside the point. You must care about yourself _more_. You have to let go.”

Audrey had played out the scenario of her breaking up with Justin in her head about a million times. Each time, the images in her mind got clearer – more satisfying.

She did not want to cry anymore. She was so _over_ crying. She brushed the tears from her face and stood up on the hood of the car.

“What are you doing?” Tara asked with a giggle.

“FUCK JUSTIN!” Audrey screamed at the top of her lungs. It echoed through the trees, and the wind blew through her hair as if nature _agreed_ with her. Damn, that felt _good_.

“A lovely sentiment. But do not _actually_ fuck Justin because that would be _gross_ ,” Tara said.

“The sex was mediocre at best, honestly,” Audrey said.

“You’re a mess, Audrey Hayes, but I love you.”

“I love you too, Tara Knowles. Now take me home, I need a bath after the _fucking_ day I’ve had.”

* * *

Her mother was halfway through a bottle of _Cabernet Sauvignon_ and spread out on the couch where Audrey’s father had spent the previous night. She wondered if he was going to come home _at all_. She went upstairs to her bedroom and shut the door with a firm _click_.

She peeled off her shirt and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her fingertips ghosted over the ding on her arm where Justin’s nail had dug into her skin, and she knew that it was not love. Love did not destroy your friendships or cause you to look over your shoulder.

She built up the courage to read her AIM messages. What she found was scary. Countless insults, apologies, and desperate attempts to get her to _respond_. Like taking a lollipop away from a shrieking toddler. She remembered Gemma’s warning, _“That jealousy comes off as passion, and it makes you feel like there’s a deeper connection than there actually is._ ”

Audrey read a study once about how the human brain works in abusive relationships. She had stumbled upon it while drafting a research paper during her junior year. The findings were that if your partner acts like a total asshole ninety percent of the time, that makes the remaining ten percent when they are nice _addicting_. The part of your brain that controls reward and pleasure goes _crazy_ for it, against all objective logic. It is some fucked up shit. It's why people get addicted to gambling – they are chasing that ten percent chance of winning against all odds.

She knew that feeling all too well. She felt like an addict, strung out on the once in a blue moon time when Justin was _nice_. It was toxic, unhealthy, and mentally _exhausting_. And just like heroin, the rush was never as euphoric as the first time. Romantic, candlelit picnics and roses were not going to fix what was broken in her relationship. It had to end.

Coming to that realization lifted a crushing weight off her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Ima (and later on, Lyla) did not go to high school with Jax and Tara, but since this is an AU I decided to play around with characters we already know from the show instead of creating more OC’s that I do not need, so that is why I have added in David/Ima/Lyla as background characters.


	5. Wannabe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends. Make it last forever, friendship never ends!” – Spice Girls, 1996
> 
> Juice and Audrey have a chance to talk things out.

When Juice asked Audrey on a whim if she’d come over to his place to help him out with their assignment (they were growing tomato plants), the last thing he expected for her to say was _yes_. Especially after their last interaction, which he was still kicking himself over. He wasn’t necessarily sorry for fighting Justin, per say, but he _had_ felt like an asshole when she poured the contents of her water bottle on him.

Audrey raised her chin when he told her his address. “I know where that is. I’ll have to stop home first, but I can come over after work,” she replied. She rode a bicycle when she could not depend on her parents, or Gemma, or Tara, for a ride. Juice thought that was endearing, mainly because her bike came with the perfect-sized basket for her plant.

They were both at TM that Saturday morning, working the early shift. “Cool,” he said. “And thank you.” For the first time speaking since their string of incidents, that had gone well.

The phone rang from Gemma’s office, taking Audrey’s attention away from the conversation. She walked off and practiced a sensual stroll as she went to answer it.

“Is three good?” he called out after her.

“Yeah,” she said, not bothering to turn around.

He stubbed out his cigarette in the nearest ashtray while Jax and Opie casually chatted up the owner of the Thunderbird. He was glad to see the car go after spending one too many grueling afternoons under its hood.

When the owner left, Juice wandered over to them. He liked Opie and Jax – their friendly bantering reminded him of the kids back in Queens. That sentiment fell on everyone at Teller-Morrow, especially Chibs, who had taken a liking to him.

“Hey,” Jax greeted him. “Haven’t seen much of you lately. Busy with a certain _someone_?”

“Hope you’re wrapping your shit up,” Opie said. “Pretty sure half the football team has hit that.” 

Jax whistled, and his chest pulsed with amusement. “Damn, that was cold bro.” 

“Somebody’s gotta warn him.” 

“I haven’t slept with her,” he admitted. Him and Ima were not _actually_ dating, or in a relationship, so to speak. They were just hanging out and _making out_. She was conventionally attractive – platinum blonde hair, blue eyes, and always wore miniskirts. She was even _funny_ sometimes, outside of school, where there was less pressure to act like a snobby cheerleader.

She had been the one to approach _him_ , and to say that he wasn’t still riding atop the ego boost would be a lie. He even got dirty looks from Justin when they strolled down the hallway together, which was an added bonus.

Jax gave him a cheeky smile. “If it ever goes there, just _think_ about it first.”

He stuffed his hands inside of his pockets. “I haven’t even introduced her to my mom yet- “

“ _Juice_ ,” Jax said with a shake of his head. “You can’t introduce every girl you meet to your mom. She’s gotta be special.” 

“What makes a girl _special_?” he asked and cut his eyes to Opie. “Not screwing half the football team?” 

Jax let out a stifled laugh. “I mean, for some guys, it could be _that_. But I’m talkin’ more about how well you _click_ with a girl. Like, there are girls that you can fuck and have a fun time with, but who can you _talk to_?” 

Opie groaned. “Give him any excuse to ramble about _Tara_ , and he’ll take it.” 

“Shut up, man,” Jax retorted. “You know you’re just as whipped.”

Opie jokingly flipped him the bird.

“Okay,” Jax continued. “So, say you are with Ima, right? Does the conversation flow? Is it natural, or is it one-sided?” 

Juice cocked his head. “It can be one-sided, I guess. Not _bad_ , just…surface?”

“And there’s nothing wrong with that,” Jax said. “The key to girls like Ima is to not take them too _seriously_. Just enjoy it while it lasts.”

“ _Enjoy it while it lasts_ ,” Juice repeated. That made sense. “Hey, can I ask for your advice on…somebody else?”

“Go for it.”

“For starters, I don’t mean this in a… _hooking up_ kind of way. Okay, so, Addie’s coming over later, and- “

“ _Oh boy_ ,” Opie intercepted.

Jax turned towards him and said, “You in the mood to give commentary on every chick we talk about?”

Opie frowned. “ _No_. I had this conversation with her the other day and” – he let out an exasperated sigh – “never mind.”

“Addie’s sort of a head fuck,” Jax said. “She’s super chill – funny, smart, great to be friends with. But she can be a downer sometimes, and moody. I’ve been in the doghouse with her more times than I can recall, but she always comes around – _eventually_.”

“Maybe she wouldn’t be so moody if she didn’t mess around with dirt bags,” Opie said as he pulled out a pack of Marlboro reds that had been tucked underneath his leather jacket.

“My hands are off that _shit head_ ,” Jax replied. “Until the moment he steps foot on this lot, of course. I’m not as cool as _this guy_ ,” he directed the comment towards Juice and patted Juice’s chest with the back of his hand.

Juice gave Jax a lackluster smile at the recognition. “I guess I’m just looking for tips on how to _talk_ to her, in a way that won’t end with her hating my guts.”

Opie puffed on his cigarette. “Let her lead the conversation. If she mentions something, it means she _wants_ to get it off her chest – and take it from there.”

Jax nodded. “That was _solid_ , I second that. Why are you guys hanging out anyway?”

“We’re lab partners,” Juice replied.

“ _Careful_ ,” Jax said. “If you fuck up her Biology grades, she will _never_ forgive you.”

Juice rocked back and forth on his heels. For whatever reason, he was looking forward to spending time with her – but he was also erring on the side of caution. Talking to Audrey felt like a game of cat and mouse, and he always seemed to be on the losing end. It was strange – the way that Jax’s description of Addie being a _head fuck_ both confused him and made perfect sense.

When he was a kid, he’d been obsessed with those gargantuan, one thousand-piece puzzles. The closer he got to solving one, the faster his heart would race. Audrey was like a manifestation of that feeling.

“That goes without saying,” Juice said.

* * *

Juice flashed a smile at his neighbor as he rode into his apartment complex. Her name was Christina, and he’d chatted with her a few times in passing since moving in. She was older than him, in her junior year of college, and rented a studio in the building next to his.

She walked into her studio with a guy who was at least twenty years her senior. He didn’t think much of it, he wasn’t one to judge.

He unlocked the door and stepped inside. He had the place to himself for the afternoon, since his mother and Gracie had left to go shopping.

Juice was a lot neater than you would expect from a boy his age – any type of mess made his skin crawl, and he always made a point to straighten up. He had a running joke with his mom that if his computer skills never landed him a job, he’d go to school for interior design because of the way he liked to _reorganize_ things. If he were feeling particularly stressed, Maria might come home to an apartment with an entirely different layout than when she’d left.

Just knowing that Audrey would ring the doorbell any minute gave Juice’s hands a mind of their own. He took the trash out, washed the dishes, and made sure every picture frame was perfectly straight. He was contemplating pulling out the vacuum when a _ding_ signaling her arrival sent shivers down his spine and coated his arms in goosebumps.

She stood in the doorway, looking almost identical to the day he’d met her – boyfriend jeans, vans, and a black top. It was only then that he realized he had forgotten to change out of his Teller-Morrow uniform.

He moved over to make room for her to come inside. “Uh, hey,” he said.

Her eyes darted from wall to wall, observing the apartment. “Hi.”

Audrey strolled into the living room where she set her tomato plant down on the table. “Before we do anything, let’s have a conversation. A real one. No prior hostility or backhanded comments,” she said.

“Agreed. I get it, it’s your life and- “

She beamed. “We broke up.”

He blinked. “Really?”

Audrey nodded and sat down on the couch. “I always imagined it as being this big, exhilarating moment where I tell him everything that’s been on my mind and call him out for being the biggest douchebag on planet earth, but no dice. I literally messaged him on AIM and told him to fuck off.”

Juice took a seat beside her. He said through a chuckle, “that’s...awesome _._ I’m relieved to hear that.”

She tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. “I owe you an apology, Juice. I get so _hung up_ on things- “

“What do you mean by that?” he asked, and his brow lifted in curiosity.

“It’s complicated, but what else is new,” she answered. “Something unfavorable happens in my life and I _wallow_ in it. I drown myself in it and wear it like a second skin, and it’s an unhealthy way to cope.”

“It’s okay,” he replied. “We’re young. Sometimes we do questionable things, and date the wrong people. It’s all a part of the learning experience.”

“My parents are a mess, like they’ve given up on each other. And I guess a subconscious part of me was trying to prove them _wrong_ , that relationships can be worked out” - Audrey shook her head - “but that’s not life. Sometimes they _cannot be_ , and that’s okay too,” she said.

“Sometimes it’s healthier to walk away,” he reiterated.

“Exactly. I acted unfairly towards you – you did what you thought was best in a crappy situation. And I understand how seeing _that_ can be upsetting.”

“And I should not have said what I said to you – like, the cigarettes and douchebags thing. It was hypocritical, because I smoke too and... well you obviously don’t like douchebags, since...” Now he was _hung up_ on trying to explain himself.

She chuckled, and her face lit up. She had cute dimples when she smiled, and sometimes she would crinkle her nose in _just_ the right way. “I won’t hold it against you.”

He tilted his head to one side while listening, and then he said, “I’m over it if you’re over it.”

“Totally over it.”

Neither of them said anything after that. He propped his elbow on his knee and stared at the wall. Audrey’s laughter broke the silence. He liked her better like this – when she just _was_ , when she wasn’t acting like she had something to prove.

“So, about our science project- “she began.

Juice eagerly hopped up. “You’re going to _love_ this,” he said and gestured for her to follow him over to the windowsill, which housed two separate plants.

Their first assignment was comparison planting, which was as simple as it sounded. All they had to do was record data on how the same type of plant grew under different stimuli. One of his tomatoes already had an impressive sprout that rivaled Audrey’s and showing it off to her gave him a rush of nervous excitement.

Audrey brushed her fingertips over the stem and gently tapped on the soil. She cut her eyes to him and flashed him a cheerful smile. “Not going to lie, I wasn’t expecting this. What did you do?”

He scratched the back of his head. “Nothing fancy. Water, sunshine and Biggie Smalls,” he answered.

“You used music as your independent variable?”

“Mm-hmm.”

His words dropped off his tongue as he realized how _close_ she was. Her hair smelled like coconuts and tumbled over her shoulders in loose waves, the kind you get after swimming around in saltwater.

Long story short, he would never feel _indifferent_ towards coconuts again. Juice did not know if he had ever met someone that struck him the way Audrey Hayes did. She was cool without trying to be, mysterious without shoving it down your throat that you would never _figure her out_. Her eyes were expressive, and yet, he could never discern what she was thinking.

He kept talking -

“Biggie’s super chill – he raps about the struggle with a steady beat in the background. And yeah, I listen to Tupac too, because _Tupac_. But I’m from New York, so I’ll always be a Biggie fan _first_.”

“Plants like music, so I’m not surprised that yours is flourishing. They also like to be talked to,” she said.

“Is that what you did with yours?”

“Oh yeah, I’ve got _plenty_ to talk about. Plants are better listeners than people, so it’s a solution where _everyone_ benefits,” she replied with a small grin.

Audrey’s tomato plant was gorgeous, and he could see the attention to detail that she had put into it. Fresh soil and trimmed leaves. Even the pot was painted black with small crystals carefully glued around the exterior.

Who would have thought that Juice Ortiz would be enthralled with _Biology?_

After making note of their plant’s progress, they went outside for phase two of their assignment: outdoor planting. _Very original, Mrs. Campo_. Which tomatoes would fare better, the ones growing inside with added stimuli, or the ones left to the elements?

Juice’s apartment complex had a garden out front, and with permission from his building manager, he could section off a small area to use for the project. He took with him the tomato plant that had not received the luxury of being serenaded to _Big Poppa_.

“Okay,” Audrey started. “The first thing you need to do is dig a hole that is _twice_ as wide and just as deep as the pot it’s been living in so far.”

“On it,” he replied as he picked up a garden shovel and got to work. “So, how you been, besides, you know?”

She lifted her shoulders in a half-shrug. “Decent. Thinking about rejoining the science club.”

“You should, it’s _your thing_.”

She shot him a look, and a gleam swept over her eyes. “And what’s _your thing_?” she asked.

“Computers,” he said, effortlessly. “I spend an embarrassing amount of time sifting through programs, reworking them, _creating them_. It’s...freeing, in a way, to oversee my own little world.”

“I totally get that.”

“I’ve been really into hacking lately. Which I know sounds a little mischievous, but it _fascinates_ me, how delicate of a process it is.”

“That’s dope, actually. You should hack into the school’s loudspeaker and blast porno,” she joked.

He snorted. “Oh my god, I’d get expelled so fast.”

“Yeah, you would. On second thought, don’t do that.”

His shovel contacted something hard. He had to keep digging, but a rock had gotten in the way. He maneuvered his shovel to one end of the rock and pulled upwards.

“So, before you plant it in the ground, it’s a good idea to loosen up the bottom of the soil that’s tightly packed from being inside of the tub,” she instructed as her fingers went for the pot.

Juice exerted force on the solid rock underneath his shovel, and when it was finally released from the earth it sprung skywards, causing a miniature shower of dirt and small rocks to land on them. This took Audrey by surprise, who then tipped over the tomato plant.

They both reached for the pot at the same time, causing Juice’s hand to land on top of Audrey’s. He had not sent a static shock through her this time, so that was an improvement. Neither of them moved. She was _really_ soft. For a second, he could have sworn that he saw a tear just above her cheekbone – but no, it was only the September light as it bounced off her skin.

Her cheeks turned as red as a cayenne pepper, and her lips parted, but no words came out. Finally, she said, “I’m sorry I-I’m so clumsy- “

“That was definitely _my_ fault,” he said, taking the blame all for himself. He aligned his eyes to meet with hers, and froze in that position when he realized that if he just moved a little bit closer...

Her gaze zeroed in on something behind him, and he felt her hand tremble. She clinched her jaw and jerked her arm away, at once stood up and hurried towards his apartment with long-legged strides.

“Wait, what’s wrong?” he called out, but she was already halfway across the parking lot. He craned his neck to see what had disturbed her, and only saw Christina and her much-older boyfriend as they got inside of her car.

He ran after her in hot pursuit. She had turned a corner, hiding herself from view. When he caught up, she was leaning against the side of the building. Her body was stiff, and her arms were folded tightly across her chest. Her stare was deep and unrelenting, and yet, her eyes were not focused on any object.

“Do you know that girl?” she asked as he approached her.

“Her name’s Christina, she’s my neighbor. What the hell is going on?”

Audrey looked him dead in the eye and said, “That was my _dad_.”

His mind went blank. “Holy fuck, Addie- “

She laughed as though she had just heard a sick joke. “ _Craig and Christina_ ” – she smacked her lips – “couldn’t make this shit up if I tried.”

He could tell that she was doing her best not to cry. He felt terrible. How _does_ one console a girl who just caught her dad blatantly cheating on her mom? With a college-aged lover, to make matters worse.

“Are you- are you going to tell your mom?” he asked.

She inhaled a deep breath and blew out slowly. “I think I have to.”

And then he thought of something. It was better than nothing. He cleared his throat. “I can, like, give you my phone number. If you ever need someone to talk to. _Besides Tara_ ,” he added.

She rolled her eyes, and her lips curved into a wry smile. “This is a brave moment to try and flirt with me, Ortiz,” she said.

“No, I- “

She waved her hand. “I’ll take down your number,” she said through a giggle. “My _lovely_ parents gave me my own phone line last year, might as well take advantage of it.”

Juice didn’t have his own line – but if he had to sit in the kitchen until two o’clock in the morning whispering on the home phone, so be it. She was worth it.

Audrey sniffled. “Fuck, I’m _sad_ ,” she said, and chuckled.

He fidgeted. “Is there anything I can do?”

“You can check to see if Christina and my dad are gone. Thankfully, _Craig_ didn’t see me because I would’ve slapped him in front of god and _everyone_.”

He could not help but to grin at that. “Oh, they are, they got into her car,” he answered.

“Good,” she replied and peeled herself from the wall. “We have an assignment to finish.”

* * *

They were watching T.V. in his living room a couple of hours later when his mom and Gracie came home. Juice had lost track of time, and he suddenly remembered Jax’s advice about only introducing _special_ girls to his mom.

Well, it was too late to go back now.

Gracie came bounding over to them with shopping bags in her hands. “Juicy, look at my new outfits! My new friend Jamie is going to _lose her mind_ when she sees this, and- hey, who are you?” she stopped mid-sentence when she noticed Audrey.

“I’m, uh- “

“This is my friend Addie,” Juice stepped in.

Maria entered the room and her eyes widened. “Juan, why didn’t you tell me that your friend was coming over?”

“I didn’t think you’d mind; we were doing homework- “

“Of course, I do not mind, it’s just that I picked up dinner on the way home. If I had known she was here, I would’ve gotten her something too.”

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking that far ahead,” he replied.

Maria rolled her eyes and peeked inside of the kitchen. “We _do_ still have leftovers from yesterday that I can heat up. I can combine it with the dinner I bought and then there should be enough food to go around. You don’t mind staying for dinner, do you?” she asked Audrey.

Juice silently prayed that Audrey would agree. His mother _loved_ to feed people. Nobody _ever_ left the Ortiz household on an empty stomach.

She hesitated at first, and then nodded her head. “No, I don’t mind. Thank you.”

Maria smiled and headed into the kitchen to pull dinner together. Audrey got quiet after that, but he understood why. She had a _big_ decision to make when she got home, and any little delay or distraction probably meant the world to her right now.

“Addie,” Gracie said. “Do you know how to feed a Tamagotchi?”

“ _No_ ,” Juice said to Audrey. “Don’t enable her, you’ll end up in a vicious cycle of taking care of _her_ virtual pet.”

Audrey’s eyes darted between Juice and Gracie like a hot potato, and then landed firmly on Gracie. “It’s been a couple years since I played with one, but I can give it a shot,” she said.

Juice groaned and threw his head back.

Gracie must have jumped six feet in the air. “I like her already!” she exclaimed and hurried towards her bedroom to fetch her Tamagotchi.

He looked at her and his heart felt...full? Happy? Something like that. The smell of food was already drifting in from the kitchen, and he could almost feel the excited nerves jumping around underneath his skin.

“Sorry for getting you dragged into this,” he said.

Her cheeks flushed in the same way they had outside when his hand touched hers. “Don’t be. I can’t wait to get to know your mom.”

“She _is_ pretty cool.”

“And really pretty,” Audrey commented.

“Thanks.”

“No,” she said just above her breath. “ _Thank you_.”

And then her nose crinkled in that perfect way that it did.

* * *

On Sunday night he went on a date with Ima to the movies. It was fine. They held hands and kissed in the dark theater during the parts of the movie that the director obviously _intended_ for people to make out during.

He tried not to let what Jax said affect him too much. He was sure that Jax had no bad intentions – but nevertheless, Juice did not want to be responsible for anyone’s hurt feelings. So, he figured that the _slower_ he took things with Ima, the better.

Ima had other plans. She parked her car in a discreet section of Juice’s apartment complex and hopped into the passenger side. She kissed him ardently, with _a lot_ of tongue (which, honestly, Juice was not sure how he _felt_ about that) and massaged her body against him.

He came up for air. “I think...I think I’m good for tonight,” he breathed out.

She climbed off him and reclaimed her spot in the driver’s seat. “That’s a first.”

“I was hoping we could talk,” he said.

“About?”

“Anything. I just want to get to know you better,” he replied.

She reached over to the glove compartment and pulled out a pack of gum. “That’s cool,” she mumbled.

Somehow, the conversation shifted to school. Which then turned into his Biology class, which then turned into Audrey Hayes.

He squirmed in his seat and awkwardly placed his arm on the headrest. “You - uh, you know her at all?” he asked.

“No. Always thought it was kind of funny how the star quarterback wanted to date some _science nerd_ that dresses like a boy half the time, but that’s none of my business,” she replied.

He forked his fingers through his hair for the third time. “Audrey doesn’t dress like a _boy;_ I see lots of girls around school with baggy jeans. I like that style, especially when they pair it with the tight tops-”

Ima’s eyes flashed before narrowing to crinkled slits, so he shut up.

“Why are you asking me about Audrey, anyway?”

He told her about yesterday’s events, only leaving out the bit about Audrey catching her dad being literal _human trash_.

“Hold on,” Ima said. “She spent the entire afternoon with you, _and_ ate dinner with your mom?”

“Uh, yeah?”

Her lips set in a grim line. “Get out of my car.”

“What?”

“I said, get _out_ of my car,” she spat, more ferociously the second time.

He did as he was told. He hunched over so that he could still talk to her from outside. “Can you at least tell me what I did _wrong_?”

“Why don’t you go see what Audrey’s up to, since you _love her_ so much,” Ima snarled. She slammed the passenger side door shut and sped off; a cloud of smoke billowed from her tailpipe as she hit the gas.

Now he was _confused_ , and unsure of where he’d screwed up. He did _not_ love Audrey, he didn’t even like her like _that_. They were just friends.

One thing was certain: he was not good with girls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it took a little longer to get this chapter out. I do need to keep a steady update schedule if I want to pull off chapter 10 of this fic, and that will make more sense when the time comes lol. 
> 
> I have this head canon of teenage Juice being stressed out and completely rearranging his apartment while Maria is at work. And when she comes home, she just rolls her eyes and lets out an exasperated sigh and says something like, “Juan, did you have to move the couch, color-code the pantry and move everything on the coffee table one inch to the left?” 
> 
> And Juan is just standing there in denial like “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Comments are welcomed and appreciated. 
> 
> I created a Tumblr blog for my SOA fics, if you'd like to check it out:  
> https://g-goldenskles.tumblr.com/


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